INTERNATIONAL SHIPHOLDING CORPORATION STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN 1. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan") of International Shipholding Corporation ("ISC") is to increase shareholder value and to advance the interests of ISC and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") by furnishing a variety of economic incentives (the "Incentives") designed to attract, retain and motivate key employees and officers and to strengthen the mutuality of interests between such employees, officers and ISC's shareholders. Incentives consist of opportunities to purchase or receive shares of common stock, $1.00 par value per share, of ISC (the "Common Stock"), on terms determined under the Plan. As used in the Plan, the term "subsidiary" means any corporation of which ISC owns (directly or indirectly) within the meaning of Section 425(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock. 2. ADMINISTRATION. 2.1. COMPOSITION. The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of ISC or by a subcommittee thereof (the "Committee"). The Committee shall consist of not fewer than two members of the Board of Directors, each of whom shall (a) qualify as a "non-employee director" under Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act") or any successor rule, and (b) qualify as an "outside director" under Section 162(m) of the Code. 2.2. AUTHORITY. The Committee shall have plenary authority to award Incentives under the Plan, to interpret the Plan, to establish any rules or regulations relating to the Plan that it determines to be appropriate, to enter into agreements with participants as to the terms of the Incentives (the "Incentive Agreements") and to make any other determination that it believes necessary or advisable for the proper administration of the Plan. Its decisions in matters relating to the Plan shall be final and conclusive on the Company and participants. The Committee may delegate its authority hereunder to the extent provided in Section 3 hereof. 3. ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS. Key employees and officers of the Company (including officers who also serve as directors of the Company) shall become eligible to receive Incentives under the Plan when designated by the Committee. Employees may be designated individually or by groups or categories, as the Committee deems appropriate. With respect to participants not subject to Section 16 of the 1934 Act or Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may delegate to appropriate personnel of the Company its authority to designate participants, to determine the size and type of Incentives to be received by those participants and to determine or modify performance objectives for those participants. 4. TYPES OF INCENTIVES. Incentives may be granted under the Plan to eligible participants in any of the following forms, either individually or in combination, (a) incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options; (b) restricted stock; and (c) other stock-based awards ("Other Stock-Based Awards"). 5. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. 5.1. NUMBER OF SHARES. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9.5, a total of 650,000 shares of Common Stock are authorized to be issued under the Plan. Incentives with respect to no more than 500,000 shares of Common Stock may be granted through the Plan to a single participant in one calendar year. In the event that an Incentive granted hereunder expires or is terminated or cancelled prior to exercise or payment, any shares of Common Stock that were issuable thereunder may again be issued under the Plan. In the event that shares of Common Stock are issued as Incentives under the Plan and thereafter are forfeited or reacquired by the Company pursuant to rights reserved upon issuance thereof, such forfeited and reacquired shares may again be issued under the Plan. If an Other Stock-Based Award is to be paid in cash by its terms, the Committee need not make a deduction from the shares of Common Stock issuable under the Plan with respect thereto. If and to the extent that an Other Stock-Based Award may be paid in cash or shares of Common Stock, the total number of shares available for issuance hereunder shall be debited by the number of shares payable under such Incentive, provided that upon any payment of all or part of such Incentive in cash, the total number of shares available for issuance hereunder shall be credited with the appropriate number of shares represented by the cash payment, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. Additional rules for determining the number of shares granted under the Plan may be made by the Committee, as it deems necessary or appropriate. 5.2. TYPE OF COMMON STOCK. Common Stock issued under the Plan may be authorized and unissued shares or issued shares held as treasury shares. 6. STOCK OPTIONS. A stock option is a right to purchase shares of Common Stock from ISC. Stock options granted under this Plan may be incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options. Any option that is designated as a non-qualified stock option shall not be treated as an incentive stock option. Each stock option granted by the Committee under this Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions: 6.1. PRICE. The exercise price per share shall be determined by the Committee, subject to adjustment under Section 9.5; provided that in no event shall the exercise price be less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant, except that in connection with an acquisition, consolidation, merger or other extraordinary transaction, options may be granted at less than the then Fair Market Value in order to replace options previously granted by one or more parties to such transaction (or their affiliates) so long as the aggregate spread on such replacement options for any recipient of such options is equal to or less than the aggregate spread on the options being replaced. -2- 6.2. NUMBER. The number of shares of Common Stock subject to the option shall be determined by the Committee, subject to Section 5.1 and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9.5. 6.3. DURATION AND TIME FOR EXERCISE. The term of each stock option shall be determined by the Committee. Each stock option shall become exercisable at such time or times during its term as shall be determined by the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may accelerate the exercisability of any stock option at any time, in addition to the automatic acceleration of stock options under Section 9.11. 6.4. MANNER OF EXERCISE. A stock option may be exercised, in whole or in part, by giving written notice to the Company, specifying the number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased. The exercise notice shall be accompanied by the full purchase price for such shares. The option price shall be payable in United States dollars and may be paid by (a) cash; (b) uncertified or certified check; (c) unless otherwise determined by the Committee, by delivery of shares of Common Stock held by the optionee for at least six months, which shares shall be valued for this purpose at the Fair Market Value on the business day immediately preceding the date such option is exercised; (d) through arrangements with a brokerage firm approved by the Company under which such firm, on behalf of the optionee, will pay the exercise price to the Company and the Company will promptly deliver to such firm the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the option so that the firm may sell such shares, or a portion thereof, for the account of the optionee, or (e) in such other manner as may be authorized from time to time by the Committee. 6.5. INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the following additional provisions shall apply to the grant of stock options that are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options (as such term is defined in Section 422 of the Code): A. Any Incentive Stock Option agreement authorized under the Plan shall contain such other provisions as the Committee shall deem advisable, but shall in all events be consistent with and contain or be deemed to contain all provisions required in order to qualify the options as Incentive Stock Options. B. All Incentive Stock Options must be granted within ten years from the date on which this Plan is adopted by the Board of Directors. C. Unless sooner exercised, all Incentive Stock Options shall expire no later than ten years after the date of grant. D. No Incentive Stock Options shall be granted to any participant who, at the time such option is granted, would own (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the employer corporation or of its parent or subsidiary corporation. -3- E. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined with respect to each Incentive Stock Option as of the time such Incentive Stock Option is granted) of the Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by a participant during any calendar year (under the Plan or any other plan of ISC or any of its subsidiaries) shall not exceed $100,000. To the extent that such limitation is exceeded, such options shall not be treated, for federal income tax purposes, as Incentive Stock Options. 7. RESTRICTED STOCK. 7.1. GRANT OF RESTRICTED STOCK. The Committee may award shares of restricted stock to such officers and key employees as the Committee determines pursuant to the terms of Section 3. An award of restricted stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transfer and forfeitability provisions and such other terms and conditions as the Committee may determine, subject to the provisions of the Plan. An award of restricted stock may also be subject to the attainment of specified performance goals or targets. To the extent restricted stock is intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, it must be granted subject to the attainment of performance goals as described in Section 7.2 below and meet the additional requirements imposed by Section 162(m). 7.2 PERFORMANCE-BASED RESTRICTED STOCK. To the extent that restricted stock granted under the Plan is intended to vest based upon the achievement of pre-established performance goals rather than solely upon continued employment over a period of time, the performance goals pursuant to which the restricted stock shall vest shall be any or a combination of the following performance measures: earnings per share, return on assets, an economic value added measure, shareholder return, earnings, stock price, return on equity, return on total capital, reduction of expenses or increase in cash flow of ISC, a division of ISC or a subsidiary. For any performance period, such performance objectives may be measured on an absolute basis or relative to a group of peer companies selected by the Committee, relative to internal goals or relative to levels attained in prior years. The Committee may not waive any of the pre-established performance goal objectives, except that such objectives shall be waived as provided in Section 9.11 hereof, or as may be provided by the Committee in the event of death, disability or retirement. 7.3. THE RESTRICTED PERIOD. At the time an award of restricted stock is made, the Committee shall establish a period of time during which the transfer of the shares of restricted stock shall be restricted (the "Restricted Period"). The Restricted Period shall be a minimum of three years, except that if the vesting of the shares of restricted stock is based upon the attainment of performance goals, a minimum Restricted Period of one year is permitted. Each award of restricted stock may have a different Restricted Period. The expiration of the Restricted Period shall also occur as provided under Section 9.3 and under the conditions described in Section 9.11 hereof. -4- 7.4. ESCROW. The participant receiving restricted stock shall enter into an Incentive Agreement with the Company setting forth the conditions of the grant. Certificates representing shares of restricted stock shall be registered in the name of the participant and deposited with the Company, together with a stock power endorsed in blank by the participant. Each such certificate shall bear a legend in substantially the following form: The transferability of this certificate and the shares of Common Stock represented by it are subject to the terms and conditions (including conditions of forfeiture) contained in the International Shipholding Corporation Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), and an agreement entered into between the registered owner and International Shipholding Corporation thereunder. Copies of the Plan and the agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company. 7.5. DIVIDENDS ON RESTRICTED STOCK. Any and all cash and stock dividends paid with respect to the shares of restricted stock shall be subject to any restrictions on transfer, forfeitability provisions or reinvestment requirements as the Committee may, in its discretion, prescribe in the Incentive Agreement. 7.6. FORFEITURE. In the event of the forfeiture of any shares of restricted stock under the terms provided in the Incentive Agreement (including any additional shares of restricted stock that may result from the reinvestment of cash and stock dividends, if so provided in the Incentive Agreement), such forfeited shares shall be surrendered and the certificates cancelled. The participants shall have the same rights and privileges, and be subject to the same forfeiture provisions, with respect to any additional shares received pursuant to Section 9.5 due to a recapitalization, merger or other change in capitalization. 7.7. EXPIRATION OF RESTRICTED PERIOD. Upon the expiration or termination of the Restricted Period and the satisfaction of any other conditions prescribed by the Committee, the restrictions applicable to the restricted stock shall lapse and a stock certificate for the number of shares of restricted stock with respect to which the restrictions have lapsed shall be delivered, free of all such restrictions and legends, except any that may be imposed by law, to the participant or the participant's estate, as the case may be. 7.8. RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and subject to any restrictions on the receipt of dividends that may be imposed in the Incentive Agreement, each participant receiving restricted stock shall have all the rights of a shareholder with respect to shares of stock during the Restricted Period, including without limitation, the right to vote any shares of Common Stock. 8. OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS. 8.1 TERMS OF OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS. The Committee is hereby authorized to grant to eligible employees in lieu of a portion of salary or bonus an "Other -5- Stock-Based Award", which shall consist of an award, other than an award described in Section 6 or 7 hereof, the value of which is based in whole or in part on the value of shares of Common Stock. Other Stock-Based Awards may be awards of shares of Common Stock or may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, securities convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for shares of Common Stock), as deemed by the Committee consistent with the purposes of the Plan. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of any such Other Stock-Based Award and may provide that such awards would be payable in whole or in part in cash. Except in the case of an Other Stock-Based Award granted in assumption of or in substitution for an outstanding award of a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines, the price at which securities may be purchased pursuant to any Other Stock-Based Award granted under this Plan, or the provision, if any, of any such award that is analogous to the purchase or exercise price, shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the securities to which such award relates on the date of grant. 8.2 DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS. In the sole and complete discretion of the Committee, an Other Stock-Based Award under this Section 8 may provide the holder thereof with dividends or dividend equivalents, payable in cash or shares of Common Stock on a current or deferred basis. 8.3 PERFORMANCE GOALS. Other Stock-Based Awards intended to qualify as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Code shall be paid based upon the achievement of pre-established performance goals. The performance goals pursuant to which Other Stock-Based Awards granted under the Plan shall be earned shall be any or a combination of the following performance measures: earnings per share, return on assets, an economic value added measure, shareholder return, earnings, stock price, return on equity, return on total capital, reduction of expenses or increase in cash flow of the Company, a division of the Company or a subsidiary. For any performance period, such performance goals may be measured on an absolute basis or relative to a group of peer companies selected by the Committee, relative to internal goals or relative to levels attained in prior years. The Committee may not waive any of the pre-established performance goal objectives if such Other Stock-Based Award is intended to constitute "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m), except that such objectives shall be waived as provided in Section 9.11 hereof, or as may be provided by the Committee in the event of death, disability or retirement. 8.4. NOT A SHAREHOLDER. The grant of an Other Stock-Based Award to a participant shall not create any rights in such participant as a shareholder of the Company, until the issuance of shares of Common Stock with respect to an award, at which time such stock shall be considered issued and outstanding. -6- 9. GENERAL. 9.1. DURATION. Subject to Section 9.10, the Plan shall remain in effect until all Incentives granted under the Plan have either been satisfied by the issuance of shares of Common Stock or the payment of cash or been terminated under the terms of the Plan and all restrictions imposed on shares of Common Stock in connection with their issuance under the Plan have lapsed. 9.2. TRANSFERABILITY. No Incentives granted hereunder may be transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise encumbered by a participant except: (a) by will; (b) by the laws of descent and distribution; (c) pursuant to a domestic relations order, as defined in the Code, if permitted by the Committee and so provided in the Incentive Agreement or an amendment thereto; or (d) as to options only, if permitted by the Committee and so provided in the Incentive Agreement or an amendment thereto, (i) to Immediate Family Members, (ii) to a partnership in which Immediate Family Members, or entities in which Immediate Family Members are the sole owners, members or beneficiaries, as appropriate, are the sole partners, (iii) to a limited liability company in which Immediate Family Members, or entities in which Immediate Family Members are the sole owners, members or beneficiaries, as appropriate, are the sole members, or (iv) to a trust for the sole benefit of Immediate Family Members. "Immediate Family Members" shall be defined as the spouse and natural or adopted children or grandchildren of the participant and their spouses. To the extent that an Incentive Stock Option is permitted to be transferred during the lifetime of the participant, it shall be treated thereafter as a nonqualified stock option. Any attempted assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of Incentives, or levy of attachment or similar process upon Incentives not specifically permitted herein, shall be null and void and without effect. 9.3. EFFECT OF TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR DEATH. In the event that a participant ceases to be an employee of the Company for any reason, including death, disability, early retirement or normal retirement, any Incentives may be exercised, shall vest or shall expire at such times as may be determined by the Committee in the Incentive Agreement. The Committee has complete authority to modify the treatment of an Incentive in the event of termination of employment of a participant by means of an amendment to the Incentive Agreement. Consent of the participant to the modification is required only if the modification materially impairs the rights previously provided to the participant in the Incentive Agreement. 9.4. ADDITIONAL CONDITION. Anything in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding: (a) the Company may, if it shall determine it necessary or desirable for any reason, at the time of award of any Incentive or the issuance of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to any Incentive, require the recipient of the Incentive, as a condition to the receipt thereof or to the receipt of shares of Common Stock issued pursuant thereto, to deliver to the Company a written representation of present intention to acquire the Incentive or the shares of Common Stock issued pursuant thereto for his own account for investment and not for distribution; and (b) if at any time the Company further determines, in its sole discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification (or -7- any updating of any such document) of any Incentive or the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant thereto is necessary on any securities exchange or under any federal or state securities or blue sky law, or that the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with the award of any Incentive, the issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant thereto, or the removal of any restrictions imposed on such shares, such Incentive shall not be awarded or such shares of Common Stock shall not be issued or such restrictions shall not be removed, as the case may be, in whole or in part, unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company. 9.5. ADJUSTMENT. In the event of any merger, consolidation or reorganization of the Company with any other corporation or corporations, there shall be substituted for each of the shares of Common Stock then subject to the Plan, including shares subject to restrictions, options or achievement of performance objectives, the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities to which the holders of the shares of Common Stock will be entitled pursuant to the transaction. In the event of any recapitalization, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares or other change in the Common Stock, the number of shares of Common Stock then subject to the Plan, including shares subject to outstanding Incentives, shall be adjusted in proportion to the change in outstanding shares of Common Stock. In the event of any such adjustments, the purchase price of any option, the performance objectives of any Incentive, and the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to any Incentive shall be adjusted as and to the extent appropriate, in the reasonable discretion of the Committee, to provide participants with the same relative rights before and after such adjustment. No substitution or adjustment shall require the Company to issue a fractional share under this Plan and the substitution or adjustment shall be limited by deleting any fractional share. 9.6. INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS. The terms of each Incentive shall be stated in an agreement approved by the Committee. 9.7. WITHHOLDING. A. The Company shall have the right to withhold from any payments made under the Plan or to collect as a condition of payment, any taxes required by law to be withheld. At any time that a participant is required to pay to the Company an amount required to be withheld under applicable income tax laws in connection with the issuance of Common Stock, the lapse of restrictions on Common Stock or the exercise of an option, the participant may, subject to disapproval by the Committee, satisfy this obligation in whole or in part by electing (the "Election") to have the Company withhold shares of Common Stock having a value equal to the amount required to be withheld. The value of the shares to be withheld shall be based on the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld shall be determined ("Tax Date"). -8- B. Each Election must be made prior to the Tax Date. The Committee may disapprove of any Election, may suspend or terminate the right to make Elections, or may provide with respect to any Incentive that the right to make Elections shall not apply to such Incentive. If a participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to shares of restricted stock, an Election is not permitted to be made. 9.8. NO CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT. No participant under the Plan shall have any right, because of his or her participation, to continue in the employ of the Company for any period of time or to any right to continue his or her present or any other rate of compensation. 9.9. DEFERRAL PERMITTED. Payment of cash or distribution of any shares of Common Stock to which a participant is entitled under any Incentive shall be made as provided in the Incentive Agreement. Payment may be deferred at the option of the participant if provided in the Incentive Agreement. 9.10. AMENDMENTS TO OR TERMINATION OF THE PLAN. A. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time, provided that no amendment shall be made without stockholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement, including any approval necessary to qualify Incentives as "performance- based" compensation under Section 162(m) or any successor provision, if such qualification is deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee. B. Any provision of this Plan or any Incentive Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the Committee may cause any Incentive granted hereunder to be cancelled in consideration of a cash payment or alternative Incentive made to the holder of such cancelled Incentive equal in value to such cancelled Incentive. The determinations of value under this subparagraph shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion. 9.11. CHANGE OF CONTROL; TENDER OFFER OR EXCHANGE OFFER. A. "Change of Control" shall mean: 1. the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the 1934 Act of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the 1934 Act) of more than 30% of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock; provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection 1., the following shall not constitute a Change of Control: -9- (a) any acquisition of Common Stock directly from ISC, (b) any acquisition of Common Stock by ISC, (c) any acquisition of Common Stock by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by ISC or any corporation controlled by ISC, or (d) any acquisition of Common Stock by any corporation pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (a), (b) and (c) of subsection (A)(3) of this Section 9.11; or 2. individuals who, as of the date of adoption of the Plan by the Board of Directors of ISC (the "Adoption Date"), constitute the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Adoption Date whose election, or nomination for election by the Company's shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered a member of the Incumbent Board, unless such individual's initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person other than the Incumbent Board; or 3. approval by the stockholders of ISC of a reorganization, merger or consolidation, or sale or other disposition of all of substantially all of the assets of the Company (a "Business Combination"), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (a) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of ISC's outstanding common stock and ISC's voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such Business Combination have direct or indirect beneficial ownership, respectively, of more than 50% of the then outstanding shares of common stock, and more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination (which, for purposes of this paragraph (a) and paragraphs (b) and (c), shall include a corporation which as a result of such transaction controls the Company or all or substantially all of the Company's assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries), and -10- (b) except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination, no person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination or any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company or such corporation resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 30% or more of the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination or 30% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation, and (c) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or 4. approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company. B. Upon a Change of Control, all outstanding options shall automatically become fully exercisable, all restrictions or limitations on any Incentives shall lapse and all performance criteria and other conditions relating to the payment of Incentives shall be deemed to be achieved or waived by the Company, without the necessity of any action by any person. 9.12. DEFINITION OF FAIR MARKET VALUE. Whenever "Fair Market Value" of Common Stock shall be determined for purposes of this Plan, it shall be the closing sale price on the consolidated transaction reporting system for New York Stock Exchange issues on the date of reference for a share of the Common Stock, or if no sale of the Common Stock shall have been made on that day, on the next preceding day on which there was a sale of the Common Stock. -11-