The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States of America, as President of the G7, on the conclusion of discussions with G7 partners on restoring confidence in transportation and travel.

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Recognizing the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and acting in response to the G7 Leaders’ Statement issued on March 16, 2020, G7 experts launched an initiative to reinvigorate the global interconnected transportation system.

The G7 set forth key objectives to address all modes of transportation– air, land, and sea.  They noted the importance of working together in a transparent way, communicating collective efforts, and helping to restore confidence in travel and tourism.  They stressed the need for coordination between governments, industries, and international organizations to:

• ensure global transportation routes and supply chains remain open, safe, and secure;
• restore consumer and passenger confidence;
• underscore the importance of transportation and critical infrastructure workers as “essential” employees;
• integrate evolving public health considerations into transportation and travel; and
• recognize the importance of transportation in facilitating repatriation efforts.

To support global coordination, the G7 will share this document with the G20, other key international partners, and relevant international organizations, including the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization.

The G7 endorsed the following high-level principles to:

Transportation Safety, Security, and Health

1. ensure unwavering commitment to safety, security, and public health;

2. restore passenger and transport operators’ confidence in the health safety of travel through globally compatible public health measures that incorporate the latest scientific and epidemiological understanding of COVID-19;

3. recognize that the health posture is ever-changing, such that mitigation measures should be based on health and risk-based criteria to allow for continuous monitoring and adjustments of mitigation measures as appropriate; and to avoid unnecessary burdens on the public or industry;

4. communicate clear and transparent messages to the public on the nature and purpose of the actions being taken in an effort to reduce confusion and restore confidence;

Economic Growth and Recovery of the Interconnected Transportation Systems

5. underscore the importance of compatible requirements imposed on transportation in response to COVID-19 in order to avoid a global patchwork of health safety measures and to minimize market access barriers and burdens on transportation operators;

6. maintain connectivity and global supply chains to facilitate the movement of essential goods, medical products, equipment and agricultural goods;

7. enhance overall systemic resilience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for all modes of transportation of passengers and goods;

8. promote innovative digital solutions to advance seamless interconnectivity to accelerate recovery;

9. recognize transportation as a driver of economic recovery, and aviation’s particular role, in revitalizing global economic growth, travel, and tourism;

International Coordination and Transparency

10. ensure that any restrictive public health-related measures on travel and transportation resulting from COVID-19, are:
    • responsive, targeted, transparent, proportionate, temporary, and non-discriminatory;
    • risk-based, continuously reviewed, monitored, and adapted as appropriate;
    • compatible with international best practices; and
    • consistent with obligations under international agreements;

11. share best practices and technological advancements on common challenges such as prevention, sanitization, and cleaning protocols;

12. promote global coordination among governments and between governments, international organizations the private sector, other key stakeholders;

13. encourage information sharing regarding repatriation efforts so that citizens may travel to their home countries;

14. recognize these principles do not alter the sovereign right of a state to take actions to protect its safety and security, consistent with international obligations;

Protection and Treatment of Air Crews

15. promote a closely coordinated international approach to the treatment of air crews, consistent with recognized public health standards in order to avoid impacts on aviation operations, and to alleviate burdens on air crews, including testing, quarantine requirements, travel to and from their worksite, and immigration restrictions that apply to other travelers;

16. recognizing that air crews must abide by their employer’s health requirements in their course of duty, to avoid subjecting crew to additional invasive testing;

17. facilitate or expedite screening for crews and ensure that health screening methods are as non-invasive as possible, for the countries where these measures are required;

18. continue to support the urgent repatriation of air crews in lieu of quarantine, as circumstances may warrant;
19. highlight the importance of safeguarding crew rest, with adequate layover facilities and access to food and amenities made available to ensure the continued safety of aviation operations; including for crews operating pre-positioning, ferry, or non-revenue flights;

20. maintain close contact and coordination with the aviation industry to get updated information on current issues affecting air crews during the COVID-19 pandemic;

Protection and Treatment of Seafarers

21. encourage discussions among relevant countries in response to COVID-19 outbreaks at sea;

22. promote an international approach to the treatment of maritime crews in order to alleviate burdens on seafarers, including testing, quarantine requirements, travel to and from their worksite, and immigration restrictions that apply to other travelers;

23. consider designating maritime crew, and workers requesting to cross a border for the purpose of performing vessel construction, repair, refit, maintenance or inspection/certification, as essential workers to facilitate cross border movement for those that are asymptomatic;

24. promote a safe and secure workplace for seafarers and their access to prompt and adequate medical care both on board and on shore;

25. support the repatriation of discharged seafarers to their home countries and travel of new crew members to their ships in order to facilitate crew changes; and

26. maintain close contact with the maritime industry in order to ensure the exchange of relevant information affecting seafarers and the operation of international shipping during the COVID-19 pandemic.Source: state.gov

The seafarer community is in the midst of a mental health crisis due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the seafarers’ welfare and that of their families, the latest edition of the Seafarers Happiness Index (SHI) published by the Mission to Seafarers shows.

The SHI is a barometer of the key issues facing those at sea today, and the latest report for the second quarter of 2020 reflects the responses from crew members globally against the backdrop of a global crew change crisis precipitated by COVID-19.

The report said the continuing decline of happiness at sea, was largely due to the inability of seafarers to sign off and return home. Heavy workloads, virus fears and a perceived lack of COVID-19 precautions on board vessels are exacerbating the decline in satisfaction.

“Without immediate action, there are significant risks for the mental and physical wellbeing of crew and a growing risk to safety,” the report warns.

The latest survey, undertaken in association with the Shipowners’ Club and Wallem Group, analyses the experiences of seafarers across the global maritime industry between April and June 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, seafarer happiness has dropped from 6.30 in Q1 2020 to 6.18 in Q2 2020.

The survey unveils the harsh reality of crews not being able to get home, worries about the safety of family and friends, and frustration at extended contracts and even fears about entire careers, not just jobs.

Crew members are tired, fed up, lonely, homesick, sometimes even suffering illness and pain, and they desperately want to get back home.

Furthermore, the report shows vessels are sailing with fewer crew members, increased sickness onboard, and pressure to keep hygiene standards at almost hospital-like levels. The demands of meeting these standards while also maintaining social distancing are relentless and seafarers are struggling to adhere to new guidance.

Seafarers have reported feeling unsupported and stressed, and without respite, which is impacting work standards as well as the welfare of seafarers.  Combined with the challenge of accessing medical services, the risk of an increase in incidents of self-harm and in the number of accidents is very real as stress impacts work, compromising safety at all levels.

“We are in the midst of a welfare crisis. While Q1 showed us how seafarers suffered as COVID-19 struck home and provided insight into the support that was needed, the Q2 report highlights the cost of inaction and the need for immediate solutions,” Andrew Wright, Secretary-General of The Mission to Seafarers, commented.

“It is paramount that we see progress with crew changeovers, onboard PPE and improved communication between shore and sea, to defuse this ticking time-bomb. Protecting seafarers is a priority and governments must now come together and work with industry before it is too late.”

As explained by Louise Hall, Director – Loss Prevention at the Shipowners’ Club, social distancing has taken a great toll on relationships and connectivity on board.

“Reports of additional safety measures, such as separating tables and limiting the capacity of mess rooms at meal times, has made even the most habitual social interactions difficult. This, coupled with extended periods of time at sea, raises serious concerns for seafarers’ mental wellbeing as feelings of loneliness and isolation intensify.”

“Never has the statement ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’ had more meaning than in the crew crisis.  No bonus or extra pay can resolve the anguish, mental stress and problems being faced by the crew today,” Frank Coles, Chief Executive Officer, Wallem Group, added.

The report also reaffirms the importance of communication to seafarers. With many seafarers unable to leave their vessels or contact their family due to the crisis, online access is fundamental to their wellbeing.

Without the connection to home and restricted support from ship visitors and port chaplains, seafarers are on the edge of serious mental distress. It is reported that many companies are not communicating well with their seafarers and little support is on offer. With little or no communication, seafarers are trapped on vessels, imagining the worst.

The Q1 2020 Seafarers Happiness Index identified the pride that seafarers feel in their work and their hope that the industry would protect them.

Today, this is clearly tempered with disappointment that seafarers are not recognised as key workers. The challenges being reported are reaching intolerable levels, due to contracts being disregarded and growing reports of sexism, racism and bullying and drunkenness onboard. Seafarers are at a tipping point and it is essential that faster progress is made to protect seafarers and stop the industry from falling into a deeper crisis.

The message of the report is clear: crew changes are needed, and those who can make them happen must do so, now. Only once seafarers can return home to their families and those serving at sea feel safe can we avert the both the immediate and the long-term impact of a mental health crisis among our seafarers.

Source: offshore-energy

In response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the Congressional Research Service released a report that stated global economic growth has declined by 3% to 6% in 2020 with a partial recovery predicted for 2021. Also, the GDP of the U.S. has fallen by 5% in the first quarter 2020. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the maritime industry, and seafarers themselves, have not been able to escape the significant effects of this crisis.

All sectors of the maritime industry have been adversely affected by the global pandemic. The shipping industry alone can face up to $1.7 billion loss in revenues to the carriers. Cruise lines in particular have been hit hard by the virus; most companies have essentially shut down operations until the fall at the earliest. Other sectors have also been negatively affected, including ports, terminal operators and their workers according to Lauren Brand, the President of the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE), in her hearing testimony before the House Committee on Transpiration and Infrastructure regarding “the Status of the U.S. Maritime Supply Chain During the COVID-19 Pandemic” on May 29,2020.

Finally, we have seen seafarers stranded as a result of COVID-19 and makeshift efforts have been made to allow them to travel home. For instance, the IMO has created a Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) to assist stranded seafarers.

What has Congress done to help the maritime industry? Unfortunately, not much. So far, Congress has passed three COVID-19 stimulus bills: the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L.116-136), the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L.116-123), and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L.116-127). Anecdotally, these response packages are referred to as the CARES Act, CARES Act 2, and CARES Act 3, respectively. When they return from July 4th recess on July 20, 2020, Congress is primed to enact their fourth, and likely final, stimulus package for Coronavirus aid. Very few funds were allocated to the maritime industry in these first three stimulus bills.

The fourth package is still in the early stages of negotiation so whether maritime will get aid this time around remains to be seen.  The House of Representatives has already enacted their version of the next stimulus bill entitled the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act (H.R. 6800), at over $3 trillion the bill would constitute the single largest piece of economic support legislation ever, if enacted. On the other side of the Hill, the Republican-led Senate is reluctant to pass another stimulus bill with such a high price tag so negotiations will determine what is stripped or stays in the final legislation. However, with COVID-19 resurging in Republican-led states, Members may have no choice but to provide more money to states, local governments, and even to unemployed workers.  Though Congress has set a goal of passage by the end of July, we expect the fourth stimulus bill to be enacted by the end of the summer.

Relief for the Maritime Industry
The first bill directly targeted to the maritime industry is The Maritime Transportation System Emergency Relief Act (MTSERA), introduced on July 9, 2020, by the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and the Coast Guard Subcommittee Chair, Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.). According to Chair Defazio,

“[t]he men and women who work within the Maritime Transportation System are part of our nation’s essential workforce that has been key to keeping critical goods moving during the global pandemic, and for that, we owe them a debt of gratitude.”

“But our thanks are not enough. We must also ensure that stakeholders across our maritime industry have the resources and equipment they need to keep the global supply chain moving and stay safe while doing so.”

The bill would establish for the first time a comprehensive maritime emergency relief authority to enable the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to provide financial assistance to stabilize and ensure the reliable functioning of the U.S. Maritime Transportation System (MTS) in the event of a national emergency or disaster, including, the current COVID-19 public health emergency. The bill would authorize MARAD to provide grant assistance, during this and other emergencies, to state and private entities engaged in maritime transportation activities. The federal share can be 100% of the cost. One element of reimbursement is for the cost of personal protective equipment that these entities have incurred during the pandemic.

To date, there is no companion Senate bill but we expect this bill will be wrapped into the House-passed infrastructure package entitled the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) or the FY2021 MARAD appropriations bill. Funding may also be available from the existing Disaster Relief Fund that is administered by FEMA.

Regular Order of Maritime Business

In the meantime, Congress is continuing its regular order of passing authorization and appropriation bills for FY2021. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chair of the Senate Commerce and Infrastructure Committee introduced the MARAD authorization bill (S. 3930) on June 11, 2020. The bill would:

• • Provide COVID-19-related relief for ships participating in the Maritime Security Program (MSP), so that they can continue to support military sealift.
• • Authorize the Tanker Security Program – based on the successful MSP framework – to support U.S. maritime sealift capacity for military refueling operations.
• • Improve MARAD’s Marine Highways program by streamlining eligibility and application requirements. These reforms would increase eligibility for the program and obligate the Executive Branch to be timely in their review of applications.
• • Authorize funding for the Port and Intermodal Improvement Program to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections. The bill would also make small ports more competitive under the grant program.
• • Reauthorize the National Ocean Partnership Program to increase federal coordination of ocean research across the federal government.
• • Authorize a Community College Maritime Career Training Grants Program to provide funding for community and technical colleges to develop, offer, or improve educational or career training programs for maritime workers along the nation’s coasts, the Great Lakes, Mississippi River System, and other inland waterways.
• • Authorize increased funding for the Small Shipyard Grant program and full funding for the Title XI maritime guaranteed loan program to support the maritime industrial base.
• • Reauthorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Commissioned Officer Corps. The NOAA Corps supports the collection of ocean and atmospheric data vital for predicting weather and managing ocean resources.
• • Enact a number of reforms to support the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Traditionally, the MARAD authorization bill has been added, on the Senate side, to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and we expect this will transpire this year as well. Like the MTSERA, the MARAD authorization bill is funded through the MARAD appropriations title of the Transportation-HUD (T-HUD) appropriations bill.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Authorization Act of 2019 is proceeding through Congress on separate tracks. The House passed its version of the bill, H.R. 3409, last July and the Senate reported its bill, S. 2297, through the Senate Commerce Committee last July as well. Due to limited time the Senate has for floor action before the end of the fiscal year, the chamber is looking to pass its USCG bill through “unanimous consent” procedures. If one Senator objects to a provision, the offending provision is usually struck so the entire bill will not be torpedoed. The House and Senate are informally conferencing their bills and with one exception all language has been worked out.

The one remaining provision in dispute is Section 305 of the House-passed bill which creates a complicated Jones Act waiver system, to be administered by MARAD, that allows a developer on the outer Continental Shelf (for oil and gas or offshore wind) to use a foreign-flag heavy lift vessel only if no U.S. flag vessel is capable and available. This Jones Act waiver process is supported by the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) and the Shipbuilders Council of America but opposed by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), the American Petroleum Institute (API), and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). We are waiting to see how Congress resolves this longstanding dispute; it is unusual for them to act when the maritime industry is split in half.
Funding for Maritime Agencies

At this writing, Congress has begun the regular order of passing FY2021 appropriation bills to fund authorized and new programs before the end of the fiscal year. The House is further ahead of the Senate.  Full Committee markup is scheduled on July 15 in the House for the major appropriation bills. Draft bills include the following for MARAD and USCG programs.

For MARAD, funding is allocated as follows: $1.2 billion total authorization, including $314 million for the Maritime Security Program, $300 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), $389 million for schoolship construction, and $100 million for assistance to small shipyards. On top of these funds, the bill would appropriate $3B for the TIGER/BUILD grant program and an additional $1 billion for the PIDP.

For USCG, the draft House bill would appropriate a total of $12.8 billion for the US Coast Guard, including a procurement budget of $2.16 billion for a second polar security cutter, 4 fast response cutters and continuation of the offshore patrol cutter program.

Are New Icebreakers a Reality?
A final word must be said about icebreakers. We know that the United States has only one functional heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard which pales in comparison to the Russian fleet with around 40 icebreakers. On June 9, 2020, President Trump issued a memorandum on “Safeguarding U.S. National Interests in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions” which directed the Secretary of Homeland Security, along with other agencies, to develop an acquisition program for a fleet of polar security icebreakers and report back in 60 days. We anticipate this report being issued soon.

On July 10, 2020, during a visit to U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Fla., President Trump announced that he was working on securing 10 icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard but did not offer specifics on where the government would acquire these additional icebreakers from and whether it would do so through an outright purchase or some other type of arrangement. “We’re trying to do a deal with a certain place that has a lot of icebreakers, and we’re seeing if we can make a really good deal where you can have them very fast,” the President said.

Conclusion
In sum: the maritime industry will have to wait for the MTSERA to be enacted and funded in order to receive significant COVID-19 relief; the U.S. Coast Guard Authorization is hung up over the Jones Act waiver process; funding needs to be resolved for FY2021 for the two key maritime agencies; and the report on new icebreakers for the United States remains outstanding. With the number of FY2020 Congressional working days quickly diminishing and COVID-19 cases surging, Members must get to work quickly if they want to help not only the maritime industry but the country.

“Congress Responds to COVID-19 and Other Challenges for the Maritime Industry,” by Joan M. Bondareff was published in Maritime Reporter and Engineering News on July 30, 2020. Reprinted with permission. 

Source: blankrome

Shipping giant DFDS and union Unite have clashed over claims it is using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to make redundancies and make “brutal attacks” on workers’ pay.

Regional officer Mike Wilkinson launched the broadside, suggesting the dispute could escalate, with 86 jobs at risk and an overhaul of overtime terms and conditions.

But the accusations have been completely refuted, with the scale of the impact outlined.

DFDS Seaways announced last month that 86 jobs were at risk, as part of cuts that will see 650 roles go across the company’s European operations.

A total of 62 positions are in the ferries and terminals business, with 24 in logistics. Unite represents around 300 members of the workforce.

Mr Wilkinson said: “DFDS Seaways is using Covid-19 as an excuse to cut jobs and make brutal attacks on its Immingham workforce’s terms and conditions.

“While many companies have rewarded their staff for working through the lockdown, DFDS at Immingham has chosen instead to punish its employees with redundancies and pay cuts. We consider this action by the company to be grossly unfair and opportunism of the worst kind.

“DFDS’ work volume at Immingham has increased steadily since operations were disrupted in April so there is no reason to enact such severe and draconian measures. Unite will not sit by and let this opportunistic attack by DFDS on our members’ jobs and terms and conditions take place.

“Our members supported the company during lockdown and are incredibly angry at the way they are now being treated and unless DFDS rethinks its plans and engages constructively with Unite this dispute will only escalate further.”

It is understood a total of 14 members are being made redundant, on a voluntary basis.

In a statement, Andrew Byrne, DFDS Seaways’ managing director, said: “DFDS, as with many other supply chain and logistics companies, has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We saw volumes fall by 30 per cent, and as a high fixed cost business our costs fell by a lot less, creating a critical financial situation.

“The need for DFDS to make changes to its cost base is to ensure we survive this difficult period and protect the business and the majority of our colleagues.”

He told how while volumes have increased “from a desperately low base, they are still a long way behind where they need to be to make us a viable proposition”.

A £200 million hit has been forecast by the business, with 12 of 50 freight vessels laid up at the pandemic peak.

“We are making absolutely every effort to work to find agreement on a way forward to protect our business and protect as many roles as possible in these difficult circumstances,” Mr Byrne continued.

He confirmed a time and a half to single time overtime payment had been proposed, adding that DFDS has offered to reinstate it should a move to a framework overtime contract that removed guarantees and was based on volume levels being achieved, be accepted.

“We are doing everything possible to change fixed costs to variable costs so hopefully when we move beyond this period and grow, the current benefits are restored, and the majority of our employees understand this,” Mr Byrne said. “We are asking Unite to work with us on achieving this rather than continuing to refuse to engage in solutions, which could ultimately mean all the initial proposals are imposed as nothing has been tabled or agreed from Unite.

“DFDS is a reputable company, who topped up all salaries to 100 per cent during furlough, and have made these difficult decisions to protect the employment of the majority of staff. “For Unite to state that they are prepared to escalate the situation further appears irresponsible and would potentially put the employment of their members at risk unnecessarily.”
Source: Business Live

West P&I Club head of claims Americas Emily McCulloch reports that more and more shipowners have been forced to weigh the immediate needs of the crew against compliance with contracts of carriage which provide little flexibility for such unique circumstances – often resulting in legal challenges from unsympathetic charterers.

The International Group of P&I Clubs and BIMCO have produced a clause for timecharters that ensures charterers understand the responsibilities owed to crew by giving shipowners the right to deviate to land crew where crew changes are not possible in the ports contemplated for the voyage.

BIMCO commented, “If shipowners are unable to make crew changes at the ports where the ship visits, they should not be penalised if they must carry out the crew change elsewhere. The ability of a ship to continue operating safely depends on regular crew changes to avoid fatigue. In the exceptional circumstances created by the pandemic, agreement is needed that crew changes are a common benefit and that those hiring the ships should be willing to contribute to the process.”

The BIMCO Covid-19 Crew Change Clause for Time Charter Parties 2020:

(a) In addition to any other right to deviate under this contract, the Vessel shall have liberty to deviate for crew changes if Covid-19-related restrictions prevent crew changes from being conducted at the ports or places to which the Vessel has been ordered or within the scheduled period of call. Any deviation under this clause shall not be deemed to be an infringement or breach of this contract, and Owners shall not be liable for any loss or damage resulting therefrom.

(b) Owners shall exercise the right under subclause (a) above with due regard to Charterers’ interests and shall notify Charterers in writing as soon as reasonably possible of any intended deviation for crew changes purposes.

(c) Charterers shall procure that subclause (a) shall be incorporated into any and all sub-charter parties, bills of lading, waybills or other documents evidencing contracts of carriage issued pursuant to this Charter Party.

(d) During the period of such deviation the Vessel shall:

(i)* remain on hire, but at a reduced rate of hire of US$ ……….. per day. In the absence of an agreed amount, 50% of the hire rate shall apply. The cost of bunkers consumed shall be shared equally between Owners and Charterers.

(ii)* be off-hire and the cost of bunkers consumed shall be for the Owners’ account.

(e) While the Vessel is at the port of deviation all port charges, pilotage and other expenses arising out of such crew changes shall be for the Owners’ account.

*(d)(i) and (d)(ii) are alternatives. Delete whichever is not applicable. In the absence of deletions alternative (d)(i) shall apply.

As can be seen, the clause allows for the emergence of hub crew change ports and includes a provision to include the clause into any sub-charterparties and bills of lading. Ms McCulloch points out that members should contact their P&I Club in advance of undertaking deviation when the vessel is laden.

Source: rivieramm

The Port of Seattle has been responding to the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) since late January after public health officials confirmed the first case of the virus in the United States in Washington state.

Since then the Port implemented protocols to maintain the health, safety, and well-being of our employees, travelers, and community members who use Port facilities while maintaining the essential functions of the Port.

The Port of Seattle supports efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 while maintaining essential operations. In response to Governor Jay Inslee’s “stay at home” order issued on March 23, 2020, Port of Seattle Commission President Peter Steinbrueck made the following comment: “Critical Port facilities and operations are still open. We are doing everything we can to support those staying home while keeping Port facilities safe for those who do essential work.”

• Read the FlyHealthy@SEA weekly update for July 24, 2020
• Read COVID-19 Status Updates at SEA Airport
• Read COVID-19 FAQs at SEA Airport 
• See Public Health Insider updates from Seattle and King County

Travelers should check with their airline for specific flight information. The Port of Seattle will update its response pages if an employee or contractor working in a public-facing role tests positive for COVID-19.

Port-wide

• The Port Commission updated its 2020 construction plans to boost local COVID-19 economic recovery through project spending and hiring while enacting public health protocols developed with guidance from state and federal agencies.
  • For more details, read the full announcement.
• The Port will provide rent relief for qualifying business tenants and customers throughout its maritime and landside properties, which include office, retail, and restaurants, along with recreational and commercial moorage.
  • For more details, read the full announcement.
• On April 1, 2020, the Port of Seattle Commission approved an immediate, short-term emergency financial relief package for airport-based businesses, barred evictions of tenants at Port of Seattle facilities (including live-aboard residents) due to an inability to pay rent through June 30, 2020.
  • Read more about the additional relief and recovery strategies for Port tenants.
  • Download COVID-19-related relief and recovery updates from the Port
• June 25, 2020, the Port committed an additional $3 million to community benefit programs to aid COVID-19 recovery, which will go to short-term, youth employment and tourism recovery programs that strengthen Port-related industries, create jobs, and spur spending in the regional economy.
• The Port is partnering with five local non-profit organizations as part of its effort to save youth jobs for the summer and beyond.  The Port’s Opportunity Initiative aims to provide summer jobs for 220 youth, ages 16 to 24, who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is open and operating to provide an essential service to the public. We made operational adjustments at SEA in response to COVID-19 as part of FlyHealthy@SEA.
• Face coverings or masks are required for all passengers, visitors, and airport workers. Please wear face coverings or masks over your mouth and nose. This is consistent with the requirement in Washington state, as well as the policies of our airline partners that are requiring passengers to wear face coverings. For more details including applicable exceptions, read the Port’s policy.
• Airport travel is different, but know what you can do to prepare. For many travelers, this will be the first trip through the airport after several months. Be ready with FlyHealthy@SEA virtual tour video and these travel tips.
• We currently anticipate a 61 percent drop in passenger volume for this year compared to 2019. Explore our public dashboard to provide local governments and industries with key indicators each week to track the recovery at the airport.
• Read SEA Airport status updates and COVID-19 FAQs for more information.

The Port, public health organizations, and federal partners are taking the following actions to help prevent the spread of the virus and keep travelers and employees safe:

• We have made many operational adjustments at SEA in response to the changing public health landscape. Here’s how the Port is keeping our facilities clean and safe.
• The Port has installed 250 hand sanitizers in and around the terminal. Traveling right now? Find the closest hand sanitizer to your gate.
• The Department of Homeland Security issued a notice of arrival restrictions outlining the process for American citizens, legal permanent residents, and their immediate families who are returning home after recently visiting high-risk countries. Learn more about international arrival protocols during the coronavirus response.
• The CDC, Customs and Border Protection Agency, the Port fire department, and other airport partners have infectious disease response plans in place that are reviewed, practiced, and updated throughout the year.

At Maritime Facilities

• We thank our cruise partners for recognizing the severity of the COVID-19 health crisis and making the difficult decisions to cancel cruises. We look forward to welcoming cruise passengers back to Seattle, once health authorities declare this crisis over, and we can provide safe facilities necessary for operations.
  • Read more about the delay of the 2020 cruise season and 2020 cruise season FAQs.
  • On April 9, 2020, the CDC extended the No Sail Order for all cruise ships. For more details, read the full announcement.
• Shilshole Bay Marina (SBM) has implemented the following measures to support the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” emergency order. Non-liveaboard moorage customers should only visit the SBM if your trip is essential. For more details, read the SBM COVID-19 Operations Update.
• Commercial fishing facilities are essential and will remain open to provide moorage, infrastructure, storage, and equipment services to the Commercial Fishing Fleets at Terminal 91 and Fishermen’s Terminal during COVID-19.
  • Some businesses at Fisherman’s Terminal are open and operating under proper protocols while the North Pacific Fishing Fleet prepares for the fishing season. For more details, read the Fisherman Terminal COVID-19 Operations Update.
• The parking lots at Jack Block, Terminal 107, and Terminal 105 parks are open. For reminders on what’s open, closed, and best practices if you plan to visit maritime parks and marinas, please read the Safe and Healthy On Shore and Off blog.
• Daily enhanced cleaning protocols have been implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Port maritime and marine maintenance facilities including:
  • Providing hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes for self-cleaning of desks, shops, Port vehicles
  • Disinfecting high-touch surfaces and floors throughout facilities, including kitchens, handrails, doorknobs, offices, conference rooms, and restrooms
• The CDC is the main federal response agency for maritime vessels. The United States Coast Guard has forwarded precautionary information to vessel owners/operators and local stakeholders.
• The Northwest Seaport Alliance and Washington state ports are in communication with each other and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) through the USCG Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC), which was established to be prepared for events such as this.

For Employees and Community Partners

The Port is working to minimize the spread of coronavirus and keep employees at our facilities informed by:

• Optimizing telework for our Port workforce.
• Creating public videos about COVID-19 response and making them available to all airport employees via YouTube.
• Printing a COVID-19 fact sheet for airport employees, translated into multiple languages.
• Reviewing large gatherings, events, celebrations, or tours scheduled to occur on Port properties.
• Hosting Port of Seattle Commission meetings virtually until the public health crisis subsides.
• We are adjusting our Port Commission meeting public comment protocol due to the Governor’s ‘Stay at Home’ order. There will be no physical location and the Port will not accept in-person, verbal comments during meetings. Those wishing to provide public comment will have the opportunity to:
  • Deliver public comments via email: All written comments received by email to commission-public-records@portseattle.org will be distributed to Commissioner and attached to the approved minutes.
  • Deliver public comment via phone or Skype for Business conference: To take advantage of this option, please email commission-public-records@portseattle.org with your name and the topic you wish to speak to by 9:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 9. You will then be provided with a link to join the Skype meeting.

How You Can Stay Healthy

Public health officials recommend personal hygiene and frequent hand washing as the best way to prevent illness.

• Wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick and stay home when sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• If you are traveling overseas, follow the CDC’s guidance.
• Check-in with your airline if you have questions about your travel itinerary.

Resources

Information on COVID-19 is updated frequently; check the following resources for the most up-to-date information:

• Public Health-Seattle & King County
• Washington State Department of Health
• Washington State Coronavirus Response
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• COVID-19 Screen Tool and Resources

Covid-19 is showing the world how a health crisis can exert disproportionate pressure on existing social and political fissures. The Asia–Pacific maritime environment is no exception, with hybrid challenges persisting and non-conventional incidents on the rise. As state budgets adjust to accommodate the health crisis, non-state actors are escalating violence on land that is spilling over into the maritime domain.

Before the onset of the pandemic, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing incidents were gaining recognition as a serious security issue. Known as hybrid challenges, these incidents are characterised by the combination of regular and irregular tactics used by adversaries to exploit non-conventional concerns in order to gain an asymmetric advantage. These tactics include the use of criminal behaviour, subversion, sponsorship of proxy forces and even military expansionism.

Covid-19 is not hindering state and non-state actors from posing maritime hybrid threats despite national budgets being diverted to crisis response. The sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat near the Paracel Islands, harassment of supply ships off Sarawak, and China’s annual announcement of a fishing ban are some of the irregular hybrid tactics that persist alongside the global pandemic.

Non-state actors are also exploiting the health crisis and perceived weakening of state capacity to heighten internal violence, with negative consequences for the Asia–Pacific’s maritime domain. Organised violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine and Chin states increased by 74% from January to April 2020 compared with the year before. The increased violence is causing mounting civilian fatalities, displacing villagers and pushing migrants out to the Andaman Sea—a maritime route into other regional countries. As countries reject migrants for fear of spreading unidentified infections, the exodus under pandemic conditions could trigger a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis.

There has also been a marked increase in piracy and armed robbery during this period. The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre reported a two-fold increase in the number of piracy and armed robbery incidents from January to June 2020 as compared to 2019. Security arrangements such as the Eastern Sabah Security Command were also on high alert after receiving information of a raised risk of armed Abu Sayyaf Group members targeting vessels in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas.

The heightened risk of instability at sea is accompanied by related reports of clashes between government forces and militants on land. In Sultan Kudarat province, Philippine government forces targeted Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters militants that are associated with a kidnap-for-ransom group. Violent clashes with Abu Sayyaf Group members were also reported in Sulu.

While these maritime challenges demand an immediate security response, Asia–Pacific countries are preoccupied with battling Covid-19 infections within their own borders. By redirecting more resources towards containing the spread of Covid-19, regional countries are experiencing corresponding budget cuts to other state functions—including defence. For example, Indonesia’s defence budget has been lowered by 7% and Thailand’s budget will shrink by 8%. For Thailand, this has translated into a standstill on military procurement purchases including two Chinese-made submarines.

Despite these restrained national resources, regional governments are still adopting strategies to compensate for any shortfall in state capacity. To maintain a coordinated and balanced response to both domestic and external threats, Malaysia is implementing the integrated ‘Ops Benteng’ to enhance enforcement along maritime and land borders. In the Philippines, a controversial bill designed to strengthen the country’s counterterrorism authorities came into effect on 18 July. Meanwhile, annual multilateral naval exercises such as Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training, or SEACAT, have shifted to virtual platforms to maintain active levels of information sharing and multilateral coordination among naval forces in the region.

Covid-19 is placing intense pressure on pre-existing political and social fissures in the Asia–Pacific. Non-state and state actors are taking advantage of a perceived reduction in state capacity to pursue activities that result in maritime instability. An extended pandemic period threatens to exert further pressure on national budgets and state capacity to protect exclusive economic zones. Although Covid-19 began as a threat to public health, it is slowly evolving into a threat to maritime security too.

Source:aspistrategist

Since January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread impacts on virtually every sector of the global economy, including world trade and global supply chains. The unprecedented effect of such a pandemic and the resultant restriction rules imposed in many countries have revealed    acute bottleneck in supply chains links in many trade regions. For example, it has been widely reported that significant disruptions have been experienced by a number of firms whose supply chains are heavily dependent on China, and more than 200 of the Fortune Global 500 firms have a presence in Wuhan, the highly industrialized province where the outbreak originated, and has been hardest hit[1]. As a result, it has been argued that the existing globalised economies might require to be restructured in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic when governments and firms start to re-strategize their critical supply chains through back-shoring and near-shoring[2]. Hence, the reconfiguration of global supply chains and restructuring of their associated operations is inevitable.

As more than 90% of the world trade in terms of volume are moved by sea, the global maritime supply chain is considered critical. Like many other economic sectors, various segments of the maritime industry have been severely impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of maritime networks, port efficiency, and hinterland connectivity. As a consequence, global shipping markets have been negatively affected with the slump in demand for goods on everything from container ships to oil tankers. The impact of COVID-19 has not only forced cruise shipping to cancel orders and trips, but also created a massive reduction in demand due to non-essential travel, a largely reduced workforce in factories and the closure of production and shipbuilding facilities. Being closely and directly linked to the economic activities, the container shipping sector has also been severely affected due to lockdowns and other social restrictions[3]. Meanwhile, ports as critical nodes in global maritime supply chains have been congested due to reduced workforce, productivity and lengthened cargo receipt/delivery transactions[4]. At the same time, other shipping intermediaries i.e. freight forwarders and logistics service providers who play crucial roles in connecting demand and supply of maritime supply chains have also suffered due to reduced business transactions[5].

Given this context, there is a need to re-evaluate global maritime supply chains in light of the new business environment.  Hence, the focus of this special issue is on understanding possible trends of global trade and maritime supply chains and developing strategies and policies in the aftermath of the pandemic. It is expected that papers will contribute to furthering our knowledge on:

• what lessons have been learned so far and what preparedness alternatives are necessary?
• what new best practices and strategies are required to be developed and implemented? and,
• how can technology assist in minimising and mitigating the risks of distributing goods and services during and after the pandemics?

This special issue of the Maritime Business Review aims to address the aforesaid issues and encourages the submission of high quality and impactful research. We believe that expected new knowledge and practices from this special issue will help building more resilient and responsive maritime supply chain networks during and after the pandemic business environment. We encourage in-depth case studies, papers with secondary data analysis, and papers with primary data analysis employing qualitative/quantitative or mixed-method.
Recommended topics:

Several research themes can be addressed in this special issue. Some research issues may include but are not limited to:

•    Impacts of reshoring or near-shoring production and supply destinations and reconfiguration of global maritime supply chains;
•    Triple-Bottomline (economic, social and environmental) impacts of COVID-19 on various sectors of maritime supply chain i.e. dry and liquid bulk, general cargo, container, cruise, as well as ports and terminals, freight forwarding, and ship building;
•    Capacity management of the various maritime supply chain sectors to adapt to the fluctuating market demand;
•    Strategies to address vulnerability and build more resilience and responsive maritime supply chain networks in the aftermath of COVID-19;
•    Mitigation strategies of shipping, port and other maritime sectors in the post-pandemic business environment;
•    The role of digital technologies in decision-making processes and coordination mechanisms in the new business environment;
•    Designing innovative collaborative partnership and supply chain network structures for developing robust global maritime network systems.

Source: emeraldgrouppublishing