Maritime News - Page 9

The global shipping industry is hoping that President Biden’s “America is back” declaration means the U.S. is returning to free-trade principles, and away from Trump administration protectionist policies that often dragged ocean vessels into efforts to enforce sanctions.

With the US election finalised and Biden now in office, VesselsValue’s trade data will be used to analyse the Container sector and the impact that his appointment is likely to have on US Container demand.

Vassilis Demetriades, Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister said he will begin contacts to reassess the situation after a tender for sea passenger line, linking Cyprus and Greece, aided by state subsidies, failed to attract binding offers.

Weekly US crude exports jumped 1.1 million b/d to 3.36 million b/d over the week ended on Jan. 22, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration Jan. 27, despite difficult arbitrage economics.

The ongoing shortage of containers that started in the second half of 2020 has been one of the big challenges for shippers and carriers alike. While some forecasts expect the container shortage to continue well into 2021, a new analysis by Container xChange, a platform to buy, sell and lease containers, shows a positive trend in availability. They are suggesting that the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday period could be the turning point.

The International Chamber of Shipping is calling on governments to put seafarers and frontline maritime shore workers at the head of the vaccine queue and to designate seafarers as keyworkers, to avoid a repeat of the 2020 ‘crew change crisis’.

Container shipping: The year 2020 was full of highs and lows for liner operators marked by a significant swing in fortunes. While carriers struggled in the first half not knowing how to deal with COVID-19 led downturn, in the second half, carrier conditions were boosted by sustained capacity discipline.

A group of leading investors on Wednesday called for an end to a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of seafarers stuck on ships for many months due to COVID-19, warning that the situation was creating bigger risks every day.

Rosslare Europort, the State’s second busiest lorry freight port, recorded a sixfold increase in freight on direct routes with Europe this week, while traffic on Irish Sea routes has halved.

Ireland has ramped up direct shipping routes to mainland Europe since the end of the Brexit transition period, seeking new passages to the EU bypassing freight jams feared at UK borders.