Ignazio Messina & C. Riding the wave of the global shipping boom

Maritime shipping demand is sky-rocketing as the global economy re-opens and pent-up demand hits supply chains hard. An estimated 90% of goods travel by sea, and maritime shipping volumes are forecast to rise by 4.2% this year to hit 12 billion tons, well above pre-Covid-19 levels. Italy’s maritime and shipping industry is riding a wave of new growth; the European Commission reports and seaborne shipping at Italian ports rose by 3% in Q1 2021, with growth set to accelerate as global demand rises. Specialized shipping firms such as Ignazio Messina & C. are benefitting from the boom.

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Ignazio Messina & C. is a leading Italian shipping company with a long track record of success. Its history dates back to 1921, a company serving routes to Africa, established. Although World War II took its toll on the business, the Messina company began acquiring ships again in 1960, launching services to ports in the Maghreb, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Arabia, and expanding its services over the decades.

Together with its management holding company, Gruppo Messina, the company provides regular line services connecting the Mediterranean to Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, as well as Europe. Business is booming because of the company’s unique specialization in ro-ro – roll-on, roll-off – shipping services, as Stefano Messina, Executive Vice Chairman of Ignazio Messina & C. explained: