Greece’s leading but little-known industry

Oceangoing shipping in this country operates on an international level, is more productive than tourism, and a force for the future

By Dimitris Kapranos - Kathimerini

Greek commercial shipping, a leading though little-known industry, will bring in 12 billion euros of revenue to Greece this year. In first place, well ahead of tourism, shipping leads the way.

Operating for years in an environment of fair competition, without any entanglements or state intervention, it has produced a number of significant entrepreneurs who act responsibly, prudently and professionally.

These are entrepreneurs whose names are not known by their own wish to the general public; they are not the subject of comment in the newspapers and do not blow their own trumpets.

Instead, they work hard, running businesses that employ large numbers of well-paid, highly trained staff.

Greek oceangoing shipping knew about globalization long before the term was adopted worldwide. And the industry was built on free and fair competition.

Flexible, it works in the free labor market, constantly renews itself, and possesses tremendous economic power and capital ready to invest in Greece — given the right conditions, of course — and far from the tentacles of economic and political entanglement.

Greek shipping has gained the recognition of the international market, where there is no room for political intervention and constant effort and reliability are a necessity.