World Shipping Council


The World Shipping Council is the peak industry trade group representing the international liner shipping industry, which offers regularly scheduled service on fixed schedules. Most liner carriers are container shipping lines. The WSC is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and is led by Chief Executive Chief Executive John W. Butler, former general council for the WSC and former President of the Maritime Administrative Bar Association.

Membership

Council membership includes the world's ten largest container shipping companies as well as smaller firms collectively comprising 90 percent of global container shipments.
In December 2014, it was announced that Christopher Koch, formerly the General Counsel for Sea-Land Service Incorporated and Chief of Staff for U.S.Senator John McCain and former Senator Slade Gorton would retire as President and CEO in July 2015, with Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, John Butler, assuming the position.

Activities

The Council was formed in 2000 to lobby national governments regarding container and cargo shipping regulation, generally in favour of improved maritime security coupled with deregulation of ports and transport routes. The Council also develops draft standards on vessel air emissions and pollution, improvements to seaport customs procedures and international standards for container design and handling.
In 2007, in response to continued problems with containers lost overboard during heavy seas, the WSC and the International Chamber of Shipping began work on a code of practice for container storage, including crew training on parametric rolling, safer stacking and marking of containers and the securing of above-deck cargo.