Daily Briefing July 22 2020
Free to read: Stranded seafarers make direct appeal for more action on crew changes | Is shipping to blame for the crew crisis? | Denmark alters visa rules to assist crew changes | Capesize market sees a slow decline
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 | Markets | In other news
What to watch
Crews tell Lloyd’s List their stories of resilience, missing families and not stepping on land for nearly six months as coronavirus pandemic leaves them stuck at sea.
Public opinion is probably the most powerful weapon at the disposal of the shipping industry as it struggles to resolve the crewing crisis and help the 300,000 seafarers caught up in a combination of bureaucracy and disinterest that has left them stranded at sea, writes Janet Porter.
BIMCO has welcomed the Danish government’s action on crew changes, saying new rules for safely repatriating seafarers could inspire other countries to act on the crisis.
Analysis
The capesize market retreated with no improvement in fundamentals during the past week.
First-half of the year ocean freight prices were surprisingly resilient. Logistics investment analyst Jefferies believes container shipping freight rates and container line margins will increasingly come under downwards pressure in the second half of 2020.
From the News Desk: Leading companies are moving ahead with partnerships and collaborations that could offer solutions to decarbonisation.
Markets
Bahri, the Saudi Arabia-based tanker firm, reported its greatest-ever profit levels for the second quarter of the year.
Kuehne + Nagel, the global transport and logistics company, has offered further evidence of just how bad the second quarter of the year has been in terms of containerised freight demand.
In other news
Wilhelmsen Ship Management and MPC Capital’s Ahrenkiel Steamship unit have agreed to combine their activities in the technical management of containerships.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages, the commercial and technical manager of at least five vessels that have been held by the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency, has gone into administration, leaving the fate of the vessels and its crew unclear.
Maersk is partnering with some of the biggest corporations in the world to launch a new five-year initiative aimed at achieving net-zero emissions.
Evergreen Marine Corp has been told to improve stowage following a report into the loss of boxes on one of its vessels in 2017.
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering will work on digitalisation initiatives with the Port of Rotterdam, after signing an exclusive and strategic co-operation framework agreement to conduct research and develop projects in the area of smart ships and smart ports for the next three years.
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard has clinched Won173bn ($143.6m) of orders for four medium-range chemical tankers from two buyers.