The strategic importance of Greek-US cooperation in shipping, as well as the leading role of the Greek shipowners, was highlighted by the former US Ambassador to Athens, George Tsunis, in an interview with Naftemporiki and Michalis Psilos.
The dominance of Greek shipping
“This is an important institution, which concerns one of the most dynamic Greek industries, but also one of the most important in the world”, noted Tsounis, who spoke on the sidelines of the 9th Shipping Conference of “N”. He underlined that “90% of world trade is carried by ships, and approximately 20% of these by Greek ships.”
Looking back on his studies at Harvard Business School, the US Ambassador said that he had studied Greek shipping as an example of dominance and business success: “We had studied the case of Greek shipping and how it has dominated. They even made films about Onassis. This story is well-known. But the modern interaction is even more impressive.”
Support during the crisis
Τsunis underlined the support provided by the United States to the Greek shipping sector, especially during the difficult years of the economic crisis. “When Greece was in crisis and Greek financial institutions were withdrawing, it was the Americans that provided the funds for the development of Greek shipping companies,” he said.
“Today, 30 Greek shipping companies are listed on Wall Street, they have access to the US capital markets and this allows them to grow,” he added.
New breath for shipyards in Greece
Tsunis also focused on the need to revitalize the Greek shipbuilding industry. Acknowledging that most new ships are currently built in China, South Korea and Japan, he underlined the importance of returning services and activities to Greece.
“It is very important to continue developing Greek shipbuilding facilities and the ecosystem that surrounds them – technology, suppliers, maintenance,” he stressed. He even made special reference to ABS, which transferred 200 jobs from abroad to Greece, emphasizing that “these moves help the Greek economy and Greek shipping.”
