World Shipping Council

Liner shipping is the service of transporting goods by means of high-capacity, ocean-going ships that transit regular routes on fixed schedules. There are approximately 400 liner services, most sailing weekly, in operation today. Liner vessels, primarily in the form of containerships and roll-on/roll-off ships, carry about 60 percent of the goods by value moved internationally by sea each year. For information about the broader international shipping industry, which includes not only liner ships, but tankers, bulk vessels and passenger ships.