Articles by Jonathan Saul

Ships Diverted to Tripoli to Keep Lebanon Supply Lines Running After Beirut Port Blast

Leading container lines are diverting ships to Lebanon’s smaller terminal of Tripoli after the devastating explosion at Beirut’s port that killed 145 people also paralyzed vital trade. Lebanon, which imports almost all it uses, relies on container ships to bring …

U.S. Pressures Insurers, Certifiers, Shippers in Enforcing Tougher Sanctions on Venezuela

Several companies that certify vessels are seaworthy and ship insurers have withdrawn services to tankers involved in the Venezuelan oil trade as the United States targets the maritime industry to tighten sanctions on the Latin American country. U.S. sanctions have …

U.S. Targets Ship Insurers, Maritime Industry to Strengthen Venezuela Sanctions

Several companies that certify vessels are seaworthy and ship insurers have withdrawn services to tankers involved in the Venezuelan oil trade as the United States targets the maritime industry to tighten sanctions on the Latin American country. U.S. sanctions have …

Ship Inspectors Conduct Virtual Inspections of Oil Tankers During Pandemic

Ship assessors are resorting to virtual inspections of oil tankers to keep vessels afloat, as the coronavirus pandemic makes physical visits to check for seaworthiness tougher and a slump in fuel demand increases the need for ships as storage. Oil …

U.S. Issues Maritime Advisory on Sanctions for Ship Owners, Insurers

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Thursday issued guidelines to help ship owners and insurers avoid the risks of sanctions penalties, standards that maritime players and senior State Department official said they were modified following months of discussions with …

How Coronavirus Crisis Has Changed Underwriting at Lloyd’s of London

Thousands of London’s underwriters took their stamps and fountain pens home last week, which they use to sign insurance contracts, but they won’t need them. Working at home due to the coronavirus lockdown, they have abandoned the normal tools of …

Supply Chain Problems Move from China to U.S. and Other Nations

Freight carriers are struggling to deliver goods by land, sea or air as the coronavirus pandemic forces Western governments to impose lockdowns, threatening supplies of vital products including medicines into the most affected areas, such as Italy. While China’s draconian …

Western Supply Chains Begin to Buckle on Expanding Coronavirus Lockdowns

Freight carriers are struggling to deliver goods by land, sea or air as the coronavirus pandemic forces Western governments to impose lockdowns, threatening supplies of vital products including medicines into the most affected areas, such as Italy. While China’s draconian …

Shipping Industry and Insurers Face Uncertain New Fuel Risks and Rules

Faced with imminent new global marine pollution rules, shipping companies and insurers are puzzling over the risks. To reduce emissions of toxic sulfur that cause premature deaths, shipowners who have long relied on the dirtiest residues of oil extraction will …

U.S. Targets Sanction-Evading Shipping Firms, Enlists Help from Insurers, Banks

The United States will target shipping companies that are in breach of sanctions and aggressively enforce measures across the globe to clamp down on such practices, a top U.S. official said on Wednesday. In one of the biggest sanctions actions …