global shipping industry News

COVID-19 Fuels Abandonment of Ships – and Their Cargoes and Crews

From the deck of their tanker, Captain Samig Nabiyev and his crew could see the smoke and fire rising over the Port of Beirut, 900 meters away. When the flaming warehouse exploded, the force of the blast knocked Nabiyev flat …

‘Urgent Action’ Needed to Help Stranded Sailors and Avoid Supply-Chain Risks

Fidelity International is calling for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis and supply-chain risks caused by the more than 400,000 seafarers who are stranded aboard vessels and a similar number who remain ashore with little prospect for work or …

Australia Detains Cargo Ships for Alleged Labor Violations Related to COVID Lockdowns

Australian authorities detained at least two cargo ships for alleged labor violations related to demands from seafarers to be sent home, some of whom have spent more than a year at sea. The ships, which are or will be carrying …

New Risk to Global Supply Chains Emerges as Weary Crews, Stuck Offshore, Halt Work

A new risk to global supply chains is emerging as exhausted seafarers stuck offshore for months halt work, a breaking point caused by restrictions on crew changes amid coronavirus precautions. Three vessels are idled in Australia after crews who worked …

Shipping Losses at Record Lows, but COVID-19 Impact Could Threaten Safety: Allianz

Large shipping losses dropped by 20% last year, in a continuation of decade-long trend when losses declined by almost 70%, according to a report published by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). However, the report warned that the coronavirus crisis …

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 …

Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express Join Peers in Shipping Blockchain Platform

German container group Hapag-Lloyd and Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE) are to join peers in a blockchain platform aimed at limiting the industry’s costly paper trail. The two companies will join market leaders Maersk , Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) and …

Maersk’s Blockchain Platform Gains 2 Large Shippers

Two of the world’s biggest shipping groups will join a Maersk led blockchain platform aimed at boosting efficiency and limiting the enormous paper trail of global container shipping. With Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) and CMA CGM, the second- and fourth-largest …

Global Shipping Still Reeling from Cyber Attack; Insurers Warn of Coverage Gaps

Global shipping is still feeling the effects of a cyber attack that hit A.P. Moller-Maersk two days ago, showing the scale of the damage a computer virus can unleash on the technology dependent and inter-connected industry. About 90 percent of …

Global Shipping Industry Sees an End to Five-Year Downturn

The shipping industry is poised to emerge from its longest downturn in three decades, buoyed by an end to years of overcapacity that have depressed freight rates since the end of a shipping boom in 2008. Dry cargo ships are …