About International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)

Established in 1921, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the principal global trade association for shipowners and operators, concerned with all regulatory, operational and legal issues, as well as employment affairs. The ICS comprises national shipowners associations from Asia, Europe and the Americas, whose member shipping companies operate over 80% of the world merchant fleet.

In addition to representing the interests of shipowners and operators at bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the production and revision of maritime publications is one of the most important tasks that ICS undertakes on behalf of the shipping industry.

Most of the publications listed here can be ordered directly through this site, but they can also be purchased from maritime booksellers worldwide. Many of these industry guides are an essential complement to international regulations, and are required reading by companies and seafarers involved in maritime operations.

Some current editions are still published under the ‘International Shipping Federation (ISF)’ brand, although ISF has merged with ICS