How shipping can adapt and maintain its role in a fragmenting world

At the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit 2025, the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) asked industry leaders, policymakers, and other experts how the sector can adapt and maintain its vital role in a fragmenting world.

According to GMF, the shipping industry, as a cornerstone of global trade, is facing unprecedented pressures from geopolitical tensions. Armed conflicts, trade disputes, and the impacts of climate change are challenging its resilience and forcing the sector to explore new strategies to navigate an increasingly uncertain world. 

The need for resilience and the shifting regulatory landscape

Annelies Verlinden, Minister of Justice and the North Sea Government of Belgium, stated that resilience will be necessary to manage geopolitical tensions, climate change, natural disasters, and insecurities arising from wars, hybrid conflicts, and various forms of espionage.

It’s worth noting that resilience -the capacity to adapt, recover, and flourish despite both the physical isolation and psychological challenges of life at sea- was also emphasized as a key skill for seafarers during Crew Welfare Week 2025.

We’ve always lived in a multipolar world. There have always been multiple powers vying for influence. I think the change now is that the largest rulemaking power, which is the United States, is no longer interested in playing that role. And that means that everybody who had assumed the United States would play that role is now feeling disoriented.

… explained Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and historian. 

The Global South paying the price 

According to GMF, although increased uncertainty impacts the entire sector, countries in the Global South are particularly vulnerable to these disruptions. 

Vulnerabilities are many, and for Africa, they tend to increase our fragility. We are talking about a continent impacted by environmental concerns, by global geopolitics. What we need to do is to keep continuously improving governance. Governance is key to resilience. One thing that is key is to ensure that we have peace and security on land, but ultimately also maritime security

… commented Kamal-Deen Ali, Director General, Ghana Maritime Authority 

Meanwhile, Arvin Boolell, Minister of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Government of Mauritius, highlighted that we have to understand that in a country like Mauritius, export is essential. If it doesn’t export, it dies. Shipping is not only shopping, but it is life, livelihood, lifestyle, and living.

Collaboration is the answer to change and tension 

With geopolitical tensions and rising protectionism reshaping the international landscape, experts stressed that no single country can address these issues alone, and that cooperation across borders is essential for the shipping sector to continue thriving.

Given geopolitical tensions, given the climate change, we really need to invest in multilateralism, working together, collaboration to overcome these issues. In a world where there are more protective measures, where there is more isolation, this is not a very easy thing to do. But I think that’s the only way forward for a sector that is so international, so global, so there is no country, however big, that can do it alone.

… added Annelies Verlinden. 

Meanwhile, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, World Maritime Organization noted: “We sort out these challenges and these situations by facing each other in relation to understanding where we’re coming from, what needs to be done in order to make that progress.“

These words echo a statement by the Secretary-General in October, following the death of a crew member from the Dutch cargo vessel MV Minervagracht, when he called for “constructive dialogue” as the only viable solution to the geopolitical tensions threatening maritime safety.

Shipping is a very, very old industry. It’s been around for a long time. I can very safely say there’s nothing that shipping has not seen. Shipping, as an industry, is very resilient. It’s a forever-changing industry, and people adapt very, very quickly to this

… remarked Meei Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Circle Digital Ventures. 

This article was published in Safety4Sea