The 20th Annual Capital Link International Shipping Forum, held on March 9, 2026 at New York’s Metropolitan Club, served as a stark reminder of the fragile state of global commerce. Gathering high-ranking officials and industry leaders, the event centered on the precarious interchange between energy transition, geopolitical instability, and supply chain security.
A recurring theme of the forum was the volatility of the current environment. US Special Envoy for Global Energy Integration, Joshua Volz, emphasized the breakneck speed of change, noting that “global reality is evolving at such a speed that you can write something on Friday and by Monday it will no longer be relevant.”
A region under threat
Volz issued a sobering warning regarding the Persian Gulf, where he noted that “more than 300 Greek ships and countless Greek sailors” are currently at risk. Asserting that “global shipping is not safe,” he highlighted that the industry operates in an environment of multiple, daily risks.
He further noted structural instabilities within the maritime sector, specifically the heavy reliance on Chinese shipbuilding—with over 75% of global tonnage built in China—as a potential vulnerability for global shipping architecture.
Capital Link Forum: The strategic role of Greek shipping
The forum underscored that Greek shipping is not merely a commercial sector. Rather, it is a critical pillar of global stability. With Greek ships accounting for roughly 20-21% of world trade, Volz argued that without this capability, major regions, including the European Union, Latin America, Central Asia, and Australia, would face catastrophic trade failures.
Addressing the forum via recorded message, Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs Vasilis Kikilias reaffirmed the importance of the Greece-US relationship. “It is more than obvious that we have very close relations with the United States…in matters of shipping, shipyards, energy, and international issues,” Kikilias noted.
A call for increased cooperation
To secure these vital supply chains, Volz advocated for an enhanced “shipping bridge” between the United States and Greece. He proposed leveraging this bilateral relationship to transport American energy resources to Europe, reducing reliance on actors that do not share democratic values.
By cementing this partnership, the US and Greece aim to establish a more resilient trade ecosystem, framing the Greek shipping industry as the foundation of the bilateral relationship—one that could define the strategic landscape for decades to come.
Related: Greece Retains Title as World’s Largest Shipping Power
