Shipping is and always has been an important part of Norway’s international image. It is one of the country’s largest export industries, second only to oil and gas and represents almost half of the country’s service exports, making Norway the world’s third largest shipping nation. However, there is a feeling within the industry that things are going off the rails.
Statistics show that the Norwegian-owned foreign-going fleet was considerably reduced last year. At the beginning of 2002 the fleet numbered 1,718 ships, totalling 48.7 million dwt. By the end of the year it was down to 1,670 ships, totalling 45.9 million dwt. This is the most significant decline in the Norwegian-controlled foreign-going fleet since 1993.
