Aside from its traditional role as an established marketplace for the global maritime industry the Baltic Exchange is the foremost shipping institution governing shipbroking practices and professional standards. The daily indices produced by the Baltic Exchange for its members provide the most current index for world shipping rate levels.

BIMCO is concerned with representing the interest of the shipping industry in the framing and implementation of international maritime agreements. BIMCO is concerned with pollution reduction and avoidance, with seafarers rights, with the response of the industry to increased piracy, with industry training both ashore and afloat, with updating port information worldwide and with the production and updating of shipping contracts.

The current worldwide membership of BIMCO includes more than 900 owners, 1,400 brokers and more than 100 P&I Clubs and other associates. Owner members represent more than 14,000 vessels totalling 525 million DWT, or some 65% of the total cargo capacity available worldwide.

Membership of the ICS is the recognised qualification for professional shipbrokers and SPS London's brokers have undertaken the institute's training courses.

Shipbrokers at SPS London have participated in the Marine Engineering course at the University of Greenwich, designed to promote technical knowledge and skills in the marine industry.