Source: container-news

All available oxygen supplies in India, including those used by ship recycling yards, have been diverted to hospitals as a significant number of the 218,000 deaths so far are reported to be a result of oxygen shortages. Almost 20 million people have now been infected in India but only about 2% of the population has been vaccinated so far, according to reports. Meanwhile, observers claim that the official death count falls far short of the real number.

Sharp increases in infection rates in neighbouring Bangladesh and Pakistan are hampering recycling activity in those countries too. In this week’s recycling market report, the world’s largest cash buyer of end-of-life ships, GMS, noted that ships’ crews from these countries used in ‘as is’ sales are now barred from many ports around the world, making ‘as is’ deliveries increasingly difficult.

Related: Indian ports battle on during deadly Covid second wave

Meanwhile, GMS noted that rising infections in Turkey have prompted the government to introduce a lockdown that will extend until 17 May, the end of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations following the month of Ramadan, which ends on 12 May.

Indicative recycling prices, meanwhile, are holding up, according to GMS, with Bangladeshi breakers leading the market. Prices there are typically around $500 per light displacement ton for bulk carriers, $510 for tankers, and $520 for container ships.

Source: seatrade-maritime

Source: gard

Bunkering operations could also come in the ambit of this catastrophic wave that has engulfed India, although no major disruptions have been noted yet as demand has been lackluster, bunker industry sources said.

The impact on global shipping logistics from India’s isolation could become a very significant market disruptor by causing delay in supply of ships, said Ole-Rikard Hammer, oil and shipping analyst with Oslo-based Arctic Securities. This will obviously tighten the tankers’ supply, Hammer told S&P Global Platts.

There are serious concerns over several ports refusing to allow crew changes in those ships which have called on Indian ports over the previous 14 days.

Singapore has already banned ship crew changes for those with recent India-related travel history while Fujairah — another major bunkering hub — has also prohibited such crew changes from vessels arriving from India.

Voyage from India to several ports in Asia is less than two weeks, and this implies that the ship will have to idle away for a few days before being eligible to enter its next port of call for bunkering, loading, unloading, crew change, dry docking or even routine maintenance.

Bunkering schedules will go awry, daily earnings will be hit and ships will seek to offset it by seeking higher freight for India-bound voyages, several shipping sources in Asia and Europe said.

If things play out similar to what was seen last year during the first lockdown in India, there will be a sharp drop in local demand and most of this difference will be diverted for exports, said Ralph Leszczynski, who heads research at Genoa-based shipping broker and consultancy, Banchero Costa.

Due to ongoing refinery maintenance season in North Asia, Indian refiners may capitalize on this by giving a boost to product exports, particularly to Southeast Asia and Australia, Leszczynski said. This will help revive freight of Long Range I and II tankers, as until now refinery utilization levels in India has remained high, he said.

According to the latest government data, India’s average run for all categories of refineries in India rose to 99% in March compared with 97% in the previous month. An Indian refinery source said in the week ended May 8 that run rates were still around 90%-95% and there was no immediate plan to cut them.

Source: spglobal

The foundations for the future development of a regulatory framework for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) will be laid at the 103rd session of IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), held in remote sessionfrom 05 to14 May 2021.  The Committee will consider the outcome of a regulatory scoping exercise onMASS carried outover the last couple of years and identify priorities for further work. In addition to discussing the most appropriate ways of addressing MASS operations from the regulatory perspective, meeting attendees will also consider submissions relating to MASS trials.

Source: miragenews

Twenty members of the Port Authorities Roundtable from Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America met on April 24 to declare their commitment to ensuring their ports remain open amidst the current pandemic.

The declaration, initiated by Singapore, calls for port authorities to collaborate and share best practices in ensuring that port operations are not disrupted.

Through this joint declaration, the signatories are committed to work together and ensure that:

•  Merchant ships can continue to berth at port terminals to carry out cargo operations and keep the global supply chain going;
•  Best practices are adopted, according to national circumstances, including precautionary measures for the shipping community, advisories and assistance for shore personnel and ship crew, and safe handling of cargoes during this period; and
•  Port authorities continue to share experiences in combating COVID-19 while safeguarding unimpeded maritime trade.

The Roundtable has shared the declaration with the IMO and the International Association of Ports and Harbours to rally other port authorities to join the declaration.

List of 20 members who signed the declaration

Abu Dhabi Ports
Antwerp Port Authority
Bureau of Port and Harbor, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Busan Port Authority
Guangzhou Port Authority
Hamburg Port Authority
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Montreal Port Authority
Ningbo Municipal Port Administration Bureau
Port Authority of Thailand (Bangkok Port)
Port of Barcelona
Port and Harbor Bureau, City of Yokohama
Port and Harbor Bureau, Kobe City Government
Port Klang Authority
Port of Long Beach
Port of Los Angeles
Port of Rotterdam
Port of Seattle
Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission
Port of Le Havre

Source: maritime-executive

• Albania has confirmed more than 131,000 cases of COVID-19 within its borders.
• Commercial flights returned to Albania on June 15, 2020.  Lufthansa and Austrian Air continue with reduced weekly flights to/from Tirana until further notice. We recommend that you contact your airline regarding any boarding restrictions that may be in place, especially for any travelers transiting the Schengen area, as circumstances can change rapidly, and air carriers have the final decision as to who they will and will not board.
• The Albanian government announced (newest on top):
  • As of May 5, 2021, the 14-day quarantine for all travelers who enter Albania from Greece and North Macedonia, has been lifted.
  • As of April 12, 2021, there will be a daily curfew from 10:00pm to 6:00am, until further notice.  Bars, restaurants, fast food, and other similar activities are prohibited from operating between 10:00pm and 6:00am, except for delivery services.  Public movement is restricted during these hours except for work reasons, health care emergencies, or urgent needs. The e-Albania portal must be used for special permission to move during this time.
  • As of April 12, 2021, direct civilian air traffic to and from Great Britain has resumed.
  • As of November 17, 2020, indoor and outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people until are restricted until further notice. The measure includes a wide range of activities, such as: conferences/meetings, political gatherings, holiday parties, wedding ceremonies, or funerals.
  • As of October 15, 2020, wearing a mask in public areas, indoors and outdoors, for any individual 11 years old and above is mandatory.  Non-compliance with this rule may result in a fine up to 3,000 ALL.
  • As of June 1, 2020:
    — Preschools and kindergartens reopened.
    — All cultural events and other large public gatherings in Albania are cancelled indefinitely.
    — Professional sporting events have resumed, with no spectators allowed to attend.
    — Malls and shops are open with strict social distancing guidelines in place.
    — Hairdressers and dentists are open with strict social distancing guidelines in place.
    — Restaurants and cafes are open.
    — All indoor activity centers reopened.
    — Beaches are open.
    — Outdoor exercise is permitted.
    — Libraries and museums are open.
    — Public transportation has resumed.
    — All maritime and air borders have reopened.

Source: al.usembassy

The Human Rights Due Diligence Tool, provides a wide-ranging checklist co-developed by the UN Global Compact, the UN Human Rights Office, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for all businesses involved in the maritime industry.

The agencies are warning about a possible surge in the number of crewmembers stranded at sea due to new COVID-19 variants and government-imposed travel restrictions.

Unchecked, they fear the situation could return to the heights of the September 2020 crew change crisis, when 400,000 seafarers were stranded at sea around the world.

“Seafarers are at the heart of the global supply chain. They are also at the mercy of COVID-19 restrictions on travel and transit. This has led to hundreds of thousands of seafarers being denied repatriation, crew changes, shore leave and ultimately being forced to stay working on ships long beyond their contracts”, explained IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim.

He added that the new tool represents an important step forward for the maritime industry. It provides a practical approach for cargo owners, charterers, and logistics providers to “ensure [seafarers] are put first and foremost as they work to deliver the goods that people need and want”.

Source: news.un

Since December 2019, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world. The outbreak and the public health response have had a serious impact on every sector of the maritime industry: global cruise lines have halted operations, container carriers have had to blank dozens of sailings, and offshore operators are looking at a severe downturn in the oil market.

For this episode, Maritime Executive publisher and editor-in-chief Tony Munoz brought together three top experts – maritime medicine leader Dr. Arthur Diskin, admiralty lawyer Erik Kravets and Port of Tampa President and CEO Paul Anderson – in a conference call on the global coronavirus challenge. To hear their conversation, listen in below.

Source: maritime-executive