Purpose of the Association

Founded in 1947, the German Shipsuppliers Association the German organization representing the interests of companies in the maritime supply chain.

The purpose of the association is to promote and protect the common interests of the shipsupply sector and the trade in duty-free goods through voluntary association.

Stronger together – a seamless maritime supply chain

Our members have been benefiting from expertise, exchange, networking and the promotion of political framework conditions since 1947. Our successes are impressive.

 

Our successes

Self-conception

We are THE alliance for companies in the maritime supply chain in Germany.

We offer a home to all companies and interest groups in the maritime supply chain in Germany. Membership of the German Shipsuppliers Association should be a matter of course for companies in the industry.

visionary

Our thoughts and actions are determined by our mission: to secure and promote the maritime supply chain in Germany.

relevant

We are the opinion leaders on the topic of maritime supply chains in Germany. We speak plainly and are heard, as we are networked at all political levels.

competent

We are experts in all key issues relating to the maritime supply chain. Expertise and many years of experience form the basis for this.

contemporary

We rely on modern methods, processes and technologies to optimally fulfil the requirements of the current times. At the same time, we always remain authentic and professional.
The association worldwide

At international level, the ISSA (International Ship Suppliers and Services Association) was founded in 1955 on the initiative of the German association. This association of organizations represents the common international interests of shipsuppliers and maintains contacts with shipowners' associations and supranational bodies. The ISSA drew up international delivery conditions for ship equipment in 1958. Today, ship chandlers from 77 nations belong to the ISSA.
ISSA has published a Ship Stores Catalogue since 1978. This technical ship equipment catalogue in English is used to specify goods and simplify orders, as the approximately 25,000 listed items of ship equipment can each be identified and ordered using a code number. In addition to the Ship Stores Catalogue, a Provisions & Bonded Stores Catalogue compiled by ISSA has also been available since October 1992. The catalogue lists food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products for provisioning on board under code numbers. The ISSA publishes an international directory of members online, the "International Ship Suppliers Register", from which interested customers can search for suitable suppliers.

The association across Europe

At European level, the German Shipsuppliers Association represents the interests of German ship suppliers in the European Ship Suppliers Organization (OCEAN).
Many German shipsuppliers have been in existence for decades, several are over 100 years old and have survived all of the perils of this period. On the one hand, ship outfitting is becoming more and more complicated as shipping operations become increasingly technical and automated, with the result that further specialisation is spreading. On the other hand, however, this development should mean that the shipsupplier remains indispensable as a specialist dealer with an extraordinarily broad range of services for maritime transport. Today, it is impossible to imagine port operations without them.