The modern terms short sea shipping and marine highway refer to the historical terms coastal trade, coasting trade and coastwise trade, which encompass the movement of cargo and passengers mainly by sea, without directly crossing an ocean. Deep sea shipping, intercontinental shipping or ocean shipping refers to maritime traffic that crosses oceans. While 'short sea shipping' is the European-developed term, 'marine highway' is the American-developed term currently used. Historically, many developed English speaking countries used the British term ‘coasting trade', and its usage remains. The United States maintained this term from their colonial era and began regulating it federally as early as 1793, with the passage of "An act for enrolling and licensing ships and vessels to be employed in the coasting trade and fisheries, and for regulating the same", which passed on 18 February that year. Over the years it has been codified as 46 U.S.C., Coastwise Trade.
Some short sea ship vessels are small enough to travel inland on inland waterways. Short sea shipping includes the movements of wet and dry bulk cargoes, containers and passengers around the coast (say from Lisbon to Rotterdam or from New Orleans to Philadelphia). Typical ship sizes range from 1000dwt (tonnes deadweight - i.e. the amount of cargo they carry) to 15000dwt with drafts ranging from around 3m to 6m. Typical cargoes include grain, fertilisers, steel, coal, salt, stone, scrap and minerals (all in bulk), oil products (such as diesel oil, kerosene, aviation spirit - all in bulk), containers and passengers. Short sea shipping should not be mistaken with inland navigation.
In Europe, short sea shipping is at the forefront of the European Union's transportation policy. It currently accounts for roughly 40% of all freight moved in Europe. In the US, short sea shipping has yet to be utilized to the extent it is in Europe, but there is some development in the area. New York's Port Inland Distribution Network (PIDN), and the private company Osprey Line are the best examples.
The main advantages promoted for this type of shipping are alleviation of congestion, decrease of air pollution, and overall cost savings to the shipper and a government. Shipping goods by ship (one 4000dwt vessel is equivalent to between 100-200 trucks) is far more efficient and cost-effective than road transport (though the goods, if bound inland, then have to delivered by truck) and is much less prone to theft and damage.
It is noteworthy to realize that while roughly 40% of all freight moved in Europe is classified as Short Sea Shipping the greater percentage of this cargo moves through Europe’s heartland on rivers and not oceans.
In the past decade the term Short Sea Shipping has evolved in a broader sense to include point to point cargo movements on inland waterways as well as inland to ocean ports for transhipment over oceans.
Read more about Short Sea Shipping: Europe, US and Canada
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