Maritime credit law

If it is common to assimilate maritime transport to an engine par excellence of international trade, we should not lose sight of the fact that the fitting out of the ship, which is certainly the keystone, is very costly. In this context, and insofar as international trade is strongly influenced by private initiative, it is almost impossible if not very difficult for a shipowner to finance himself a maritime expedition, because as we know it is an operation that requires the mobilization of huge financial resources. Thus, given the need for the shipowner either to maintain his fleet, or to promote shipbuilding or ensure the maintenance of a seagoing vessel, recourse to borrowing seems to be the solution in principle. For the record, it should be noted that the major international shipping companies have only been able to build up their business thanks to massive recourse to loans, the relevant criterion for accessibility to financiers being none other than the solid guarantees of payment that the shipowner makes available to potential creditors.