Merchant Shipping Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used in Malaysia and the United Kingdom for legislation relating to merchant shipping.

Merchant shipping acts and regulations also exist as well in other countries, and they are sometimes referred to as "Merchant Shipping Act" such as in Malta, India, Singapore, Kenya and South Africa. Each country has its specific rules regarding merchant shipping.

The Merchant Shipping Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 60) consolidated a large number of previous merchant shipping laws into a single, large act.

Laws it repealed included:

The Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and others) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. 32) introduced new rules relating to the liability of shipowners and the liability of harbour conservation authorities. The section on liability of shipowners was superseded by the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act 1958, but the other sections remain in force.

Each Merchant Shipping Act defines a collective title beginning "Merchant Shipping Acts", including itself and other acts whose short titles include "Merchant Shipping"; for example "The Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 1994". The earliest act included is always the Merchant Shipping Act 1894.