Daily Briefing July 8 2020
Free to read: Crew welfare crisis: Less than one third of seafarers repatriated | China LNG imports claw back coronavirus losses | Shell decarbonisation report calls for ‘all hands on deck’
Good morning. Here’s our quick view of everything you need to know today.
The Lloyd’s List Daily Briefing is brought to you by the Lloyd’s List News Desk.
What to watch | Analysis | Opinion | Markets | In other news
What to watch
Only 30% of necessary crew changes are taking place despite many much-lauded measures to repatriate an estimated 300,000 exhausted seafarers whose contracts have expired but cannot leave their vessels.
China’s liquefied natural gas imports sharply rose in May, recovering from coronavirus-triggered disruptions to post a first-half increase on year, data shows.
The shipping industry understands the urgency of the decarbonisation challenge, accepts the need for cross-sectoral collaboration and collective action and yet feels the barriers to change have deadlocked significant progress to date, according to a new survey of more than 80 industry leaders performed by energy giant Shell.
Carbon emissions from the maritime sector could be included in the European Union’s carbon market for the first time.
Analysis
Lessons learnt now will change the way class societies will operate in the future to some extent, according to Indian Register of Shipping executive chairman Arun Sharma, who has just completed his one-year term as the chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies.
Legal deadlock prevails over the position of four vessels allegedly carrying sanctioned Iranian gasoline to Venezuela, with no obvious means of the US enforcing a court judgment that it is entitled to seize their cargoes.
From the News Desk: The relatively swift removals of the vessels from the Ofac blacklist will have underlined the upside to co-operating fully with US sanctions, according to observers.
Opinion
The International Chamber of Shipping believes an ambitious agreement on cutting CO2 emissions can be reached in the autumn, provided that governments maintain open minds and be willing to avoid inflexible positions, writes Simon Bennett, ICS deputy secretary-general.
Markets
A new set of parameters just published seeks to solve a key issue with data sharing in the container shipping sector
In other news
Maersk said it is co-operating with authorities in Mexico after cocaine worth $1.2m was found on a containership at the port of Manzanillo.
The US inspection body charged with certifying compliance with dangerous goods regulations has called for urgent reform to stem the increasing number of incidents caused by poorly stowed, undeclared or misdeclared containerised cargoes.
China Cosco Shipping Corp has teamed up with e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and its finance and technology affiliate Ant Group to collaborate on blockchain solutions.
Greek capesize owner Seanergy has acquired a 2005-built vessel to take advantage of a hot spot market.
Car carrier Höegh Xiamen has been declared a constructive total loss after a fire last month in which nine US firefighters were injured.
D’Amico International Shipping, an Italian product tanker owner, has sold two of its oldest medium range tankers for $12.95m each.
NYK Line has signed its first long-term contract of up to 10 years with PetroChina for a 2013-buillt shuttle tanker.