World Shipping Alliance

What World Shipping Alliance does

World Shipping Alliance (WSA), branded as WSA Elite and operated by Rom & Jay USA out of East Rutherford, New Jersey, is a privately held membership network founded in 2018 that connects independent freight forwarding companies across multiple countries. The platform is structured as a vetted, membership-based association in which freight forwarders apply, are selectively approved, and gain access to a members-only directory, a Financial Protection Program (covering non-payment between members, scaling from USD 10,000 in year 1 to USD 50,000 in year 5+), Global Trade Data analytics, E-Marketing Solutions, and annual in-person conferences.

The underlying technology is a lightweight web-based platform — the wsa-elite.com site hosts the network directory, blacklisted-companies database, freight conversion calculator, Incoterms 2020 reference, and a member request portal. The firm explicitly limits members per country (with exceptions for USA, China, and India) to preserve exclusivity, and lists integration partnerships with CargoWise, Container Xchange, and FDRS to embed the network within broader freight technology stacks. There is no disclosed mobile application, no API, and no documented AI/ML capability.

The business model is recurring annual membership subscriptions, with pricing not publicly disclosed and likely tiered by country and tenure. The company has 7 employees, no disclosed funding, no disclosed revenue, and no disclosed management team. Revenue concentration risk is structurally low given the fragmented SMB/mid-market member base across at least nine countries, though the entire revenue base is vertically concentrated on the freight forwarding industry.

Name

World Shipping Alliance

Legal name

World Shipping Alliance

Website

https://wsa-network.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World Shipping Alliance (WSA Elite) is a privately held, membership-based global network for independent freight forwarders, offering vetted directory access, a Financial Protection Program, Global Trade Data analytics, e-marketing services, and annual conferences across multiple countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding Network

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Freight Marketplaces (Customs-Aware Matching) (TLAEAJAJ)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding network
• Logistics network membership
• Shipping agent directory
• Freight forwarder association
• Global trade data

Headquarters

HQ city

East Rutherford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide access to the WSA network, including the member directory, Financial Protection Program, Global Trade Data, e-marketing solutions, conference access, and use of WSA branding. The exact fee structure is not publicly disclosed and likely varies by country and member tier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

World Shipping Alliance operates a selectively vetted, membership-based global network connecting independent freight forwarders, providing annual memberships that bundle a member directory, a Financial Protection Program (up to USD 50,000 of non-payment coverage for tenured members), Global Trade Data analytics, E-Marketing Solutions, annual conferences, and the right to use the WSA brand. The network limits the number of members per country (excluding USA, China, and India) to preserve exclusivity and partner opportunity within each market.

Product overview

World Shipping Alliance operates as a single unified platform called WSA Elite — an independent worldwide network for freight forwarders. The platform centers on a membership network connecting freight forwarding companies globally, supplemented by member-facing tools and services including the WSA Network Directory, Financial Protection Program (FPP), Global Trade Data, E-Marketing Solutions, annual Conferences & Exhibitions, a Freight Calculator, an Incoterms 2020 Reference guide, a Blacklisted Companies Database, and a Make-a-Request support portal. These components work together to provide members with trusted connections, financial safeguards, market intelligence, marketing support, and operational tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WSA Elite Membership Network Annual membership in the WSA Elite network for freight forwarding companies, bundling access to the vetted member directory, Financial Protection Program, Global Trade Data, E-Marketing Solutions, annual conferences, and rights to use the WSA brand. Membership is selective and limited per country.
• WSA Network Directory Searchable online directory of WSA member freight forwarding companies, accessible by registered members in good standing to find and contact agents in different countries.
• Financial Protection Program (FPP) Protects WSA members against non-payment from other WSA members on cross-border freight transactions, with coverage tiered by membership tenure.
• Global Trade Data Market intelligence offering that analyzes market share across trade lanes, customer segments, and product categories to support members' sales and business development.
• E-Marketing Solutions Digital marketing services provided to members including web design and development, social media management (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), content planning, and email marketing campaign management.
• WSA Conferences and Exhibitions Annual in-person conferences and exhibitions organized by WSA that provide networking opportunities, one-on-one business meetings, and exhibitions for freight forwarder members.
• Freight Calculator Online tool for converting ocean/sea freight measures, air freight weights, and courier weights including CBM conversions and dimensional weight calculations.
• Blacklisted Companies Database Searchable database of blacklisted companies maintained by WSA to protect members from unreliable business partners.
• Incoterms 2020 Reference Online reference guide covering all 11 Incoterms 2020 trade terms with explanatory descriptions for each term.

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial Protection Program coverage increases from USD 10,000 (year 1) to USD 50,000 (year 5+)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Flexport: Flexport is a digital-first freight forwarder offering online booking and shipment management. While its business model is direct forwarding rather than a network, it competes for the same shipper relationships that WSA members serve.
• Freightos: Freightos operates a digital freight marketplace for ocean, air, and trucking. Its technology-enabled approach overlaps with parts of WSA's value proposition around market access and freight matching, particularly for cross-border shippers.
• iContainers: iContainers is an online freight forwarder offering instant ocean and air freight quotes and bookings. It addresses some of the same cross-border shipping pain points that WSA members are hired to solve, providing a digital alternative.

Others

• Aljex Software: Aljex provides transportation management and freight broker software used by forwarders and 3PLs. It is an enabling technology provider that supports the same freight forwarding ecosystem that WSA serves, rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• GLN Global Logistics Network: GLN operates a global network of independent freight forwarders with vetted membership and conferences. Its service model closely mirrors WSA's selective-membership approach and addresses the same customer base.
• WCA Worldwide: WCA is the world's largest family of independent freight forwarder networks, operating multiple regional networks with vetted membership, insurance programs, and annual conferences. It is the most direct competitor to WSA in the curated freight forwarder network category.
• GLA Global Logistics Alliance: GLA is a global membership network for freight forwarders offering a vetted directory, conferences, and member-to-member partnership programs. It competes head-to-head with WSA for forwarder memberships across overlapping geographies.
• IFLN International Freight Logistics Network: IFLN is a curated freight forwarder network providing member vetting, conferences, and partnership tools across multiple regions. It is structurally identical to WSA, making it one of the closest substitutes for prospective members.

Broad incumbents

• NCBFAA: NCBFAA is the leading US trade association for customs brokers and freight forwarders. While not a commercial network, it represents an incumbent alternative for forwarders seeking industry affiliation and could compete with WSA for member mindshare.
• TIACA: The International Air Cargo Association serves a broad membership across the air freight industry with advocacy, events, and networking. It is an incumbent community alternative to WSA for forwarders focused on air freight.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worldshippingalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World Shipping Alliance