Articles by Jonathan Saul

Shippers Brace for More Suez Canal Turmoil After Vessel Attack

An attack by assailants on a container ship in the Suez Canal has heightened risks for merchant shipping using the vital waterway, with further threats considered likely as political turmoil continues in Egypt. On Sunday an army source said three …

West Africa Piracy Endangering Commodities Shipping, Increasing Rates

Pirate attacks off West Africa’s mineral-rich Gulf of Guinea have almost doubled from last year and threaten to increase the costs and jeopardize the shipping of commodities from the region. The Gulf of Guinea, which includes Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory …

Iran Oil Liability Fears Grow as Insurance Ban Bites

A ban on European Union insurers covering Iranian oil exports has forced ship owners to fall back on new, untested insurance providers, raising fears that governments may have to pay in the event of an oil spill. The July ban, …

Insurers Face Tougher Times as Somali Piracy Drops

A dramatic fall in pirate attacks off the Somali coast is forcing down the cost of piracy insurance for commercial ships, taking the shine off a fast-growing and lucrative market for London-based insurers. International navies have cracked down on pirates, …

Efforts to Tackle Somali Piracy Paying Off Says IMB

Tougher action by international navies and the use of private armed guards on ships have more than halved the number of Somali pirate attacks, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Monday. Last year, Somali piracy in the busy shipping …

Iran Tanker Firm Says it Insured Ships Despite Sanctions

Iran’s biggest tanker operator, NITC, has $1 billion in ship insurance cover to keep its fleet on the water and serve clients in Asia despite Western sanctions on the Islamic Republic’s oil trade, a senior NITC official said on Tuesday. …

Iran Oil Costs to Surge with EU Ship Insurance Ban

A widely expected ban on European insurance cover for Iranian oil exports from July 1 is threatening to curtail shipments and raise costs for major buyers such as Japan and South Korea, insurance industry sources say. Last week the European …

Navy Actions Reduce Somali Pirate Hijackings: Maritime Bureau

Pre-emptive strikes by naval forces, the deployment of private armed guards and protective measures by ships helped to almost halve the number of successful hijackings by Somali pirates last year, a maritime watchdog said on Thursday. Seaborne gangs are making …

Ship Disaster Unlikely to Prompt Quick Safety Changes

The cruise ship disaster off Italy’s coast is drawing fresh scrutiny to the gaps in international safety rules and standards – yet there may be little appetite among the world’s major shipping nations and companies for big changes anytime soon. …

Official Says Germany Wants Armed Guards on Europe Ships

Germany plans to lobby other European Union countries to allow the deployment of private armed guards on their merchant ships in high-risk areas as a piracy crisis escalates, ministry officials said. But analysts said the initiative was likely to face …