"In today’s world, silent resilience is no longer enough."

That was the underlying message in remarks delivered by UK Chamber CEO Rhett Hatcher in keynote remarks to both the Maritime Leaders’ Shipping Forum (MLSF) and the White Ensign Association Maritime Seminar last week. 

“The UK’s resilience begins at sea.”

In his remarks, Rhett underlined the scale of shipping’s contribution to national life, making the case that maritime is not simply a commercial service operating quietly in the background, but part of the infrastructure that underpins economic security and national resilience.

He also stressed that resilience in shipping should not be understood as an abstract concept, but as the practical ability to keep trade moving under pressure. In the context of growing geopolitical instability, disrupted sea lanes and threats to critical infrastructure, he argued that resilience means having the capacity, systems and partnerships in place before crisis hits — not trying to improvise once disruption is already under way.

In his remarks, Rhett also argued that resilience cannot be separated from competitiveness. Instead, he argued that they depend on one another and that a competitive maritime sector is better able to invest, innovate, attract talent and respond to change, while resilience creates the confidence and stability that competitiveness requires.

“Secure trade is competitive trade. And competitive trade depends on secure seas.”

That point was particularly clear in his comments on security. Rhett made the case that commercial shipping can no longer be seen as somehow outside the wider security environment. Whether through instability in the Middle East, pressure on strategic trade routes or the growing challenge of cyber and hybrid threats, he argued that maritime security now has direct consequences for costs, confidence and competitiveness right across the economy.

"You cannot improvise resilience when crisis hits. You must build it before crisis comes."

In his remarks, he also drew a stronger connection between commercial maritime capability and defence readiness. Ports, sea lanes, logistics networks and vessels form part of the broader strategic base, on which national resilience depends - meaning maritime should be understood not only as part of the economy, but as part of national strategy.

“Maritime is not on the margins of the big strategic questions of our time. It is right at the centre of them.”

That is the conversation the UK Chamber wants to help lead. Recent discussions at MLSF and the WEA seminar reinforced that the maritime sector is not short of expertise or ambition. The task now is to turn that into sustained strategic focus — ensuring shipping is better understood, better supported and more clearly embedded in national decision-making.

We at grateful for both teams at The WEA and the Council on Geostrategy for convening these important discussions at this critical time for UK shipping, and we remain in constant dialogue with partners across maritime to support the resilience of the industry for a brighter future ahead

For more information on the UK Chamber’s work in this area, please contact Stef Kenyon.