The chamber has its origins in 1878 when a national trade body for shipping was formed. The chamber was granted a
royal charter in 1920 and went through several names. It merged with the
Shipping Federation in 1975 and being known as the General Council of British Shipping until 1992 when its current name was adopted. Sarah Treseder, a former Chief Executive of the
Royal Yachting Association served as chief executive of the chamber between 2021 and 2024, having replaced Bob Sanguinetti. In April 2024, Rear Admiral Rhett Hatcher, former UK national hydrographer and deputy chief executive at the
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office became chief executive. ==Presidents==