The main objective of the Association is to bring all the NVOCC agents in Sri Lanka under one umbrella, to protect and promote the interests of its trade in all its aspects. It was created with the long term objective to gain recognition and as SMEs meaningfully contribute to the development of the shipping industry and the economy of the country. An NVOCC carries goods in its own containers and issues its own bill of lading as opposed to a Shipping Line which operates its own and/or chartered vessels and a freight forwarder who uses the services of a Shipping Line or an NVOCC to carry its goods. The NVOCC’s are dominant in the region extending from West Asia to Indian sub-continent and South East Asia and their contribution to the Sri Lankan economy has been hitherto has gone unnoticed.