The German member of  OCEAN is the Verband Deutscher Schiffsausrüster e.V. -  German Ship Suppliers Association

The GERMAN SHIPSUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION represents the interests of the ship supply industry and the companies involved in tax-free trade throughout Germany vis-à-vis all government authorities; it advises and informs members on all commercial issues, informs them on current topics in its newsletters, and endeavours to improve the knowledge of the general public on ship supplying, and to enhance the good reputation of the German ship suppliers. It, therefore, attaches great importance to the membership of reputed companies with a long tradition and experience in the business. The Association was founded in 1947 in Hamburg, and is still based there today.

At present there are some 150 ship supply companies in Germany, the vast majority being members of the German Shipsuppliers Association. Membership includes general suppliers, technical suppliers, wholesalers and manufacturers of electronics, food, beverages, tobacco and luxury goods, duty-free shops and owners of cruise ships and excursion liners. Most members operate small and medium size businesses, employing between 10 and 30 people; the largest companies have more than 100 employees.

Many of the German ship supply companies have been established for decades, and some are more than 100 years old, having survived all the difficulties throughout that period. As ship operation becomes more technical and more automated, ship supply is getting more and more complicated too, and that has led to further specialisation. At the same time, this development gives ship suppliers an increasingly important role to play as specialised traders, giving an extremely wide range of services for maritime transport. Ship suppliers have become an indispensable element in port operations.

Please find more information on the Association´s web site www.shipsuppliers.de