Port is a catalyst for growth and facilitates increase in foreign exchange earnings. The present study attempts to discuss the trend and growth of world maritime nations, volume of cargo and container traffic handled by the major ports of the world and traffic and freight earning of central inland water transport corporation (CIWTC) of India from the period 2001–02 to 2013–14. The objectives of the present study are: 1. To study the world maritimenations. 2. To find out the volume of cargo and container traffic handled by the major ports of the world and 3. To examine the trend and growth of world maritimenations, volume of cargo and container traffic handled by the major ports of the world and traffic and freight earning of central inland water transport corporation (CIWTC) of India from the period 2001–02 to 2013–14. The study based on secondary data from 2001–02 to 2013–14. The secondary data collected from Administrative reports, various publications of Port Trust, the reports of the Department of Economics and Statistics and Ministry of Shipping, Government of India, journals, books, edited books, reports, documents, theses and websites. The tools used for the study were percentage analysis, mean, standard deviation, compound growth rate and coefficient of variation. It is found that the trend coefficient was found to be statistically significant for world maritimenations, volume of cargo and containertraffic handled by the major ports of the world and traffic and freight earning in India. It indicates, on average, it had increased by 7.3 percent for world maritimenations, 8.1 percent for cargo and containertraffic handled by the major ports, and 4.1 percent for traffic and freight earning per annum. The growth rates are found to be 13.68 percent, 5.82 percent, and 6.91 percent for world maritimenations, cargo and container traffic handled by the major ports of the world and traffic and freight earning in India.