1. Seafarers’ unions welcome Ever Given release
“We welcome the release of the Ever Given from detention by Egyptian authorities. It will be an enormous relief for the crew on board and their families. But while we celebrate this outcome, our attention is still on the 200,000 seafarers trapped working on vessels unable to go home due to the worsening crew change crisis,” said ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/13/seafarers-unions-welcome-ever-given-release/
2. UK P&I Club creates new regional roles to strengthen global claims handling
The UK P&I Club, one of the leading providers of P&I insurance and other services to the international shipping community, has created a new role of Regional Claims Director in each of its main service hubs, enhancing global claim capability for Members. In response to the retirement of Jeff Lock, Global Technical Claims Director, the Club has reviewed its regional claims response, creating the Regional Claims Director role to better serve its markets in Europe, Greece, The Americas and the Far East. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/13/uk-pi-club-creates-new-regional-roles-to-strengthen-global-claims-handling/
3. DeepOcean signs agreement to acquire majority stake in ADEPTH minerals
DeepOcean Group (“DeepOcean”) has signed an agreement to invest in ADEPTH Minerals AS (“ADEPTH”), a company built for sustainable exploration and extraction of marine minerals. Through its investment, DeepOcean will acquire a majority stake in the company. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/13/deepocean-signs-agreement-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-adepth-minerals/
4. New IMO submission calls for clarity on enforcement of 0.50% sulphur limit
The industry has coped remarkably well with the implementation of IMO 2020, but variable approaches to enforcement of the 0.50% sulphur limit continues to cause a lot of problems and uncertainty for the shipping and fuel oil supply industries. The main problem is a lack of consistency in how authorities decide whether a ship is in compliance with the 0.50% sulphur limit, and the associated ban on carrying fuel exceeding 0.50% sulphur for ships without abatement technology. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/13/new-imo-submission-calls-for-clarity-on-enforcement-of-0-50-sulphur-limit/
5. CIMC Raffles to Construct Dual Fuel Car Carriers for Wallenius
FChinese shipbuilder CIMC Raffles has received an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for up to six low emission LNG-powered car carriers for Wallenius Lines. Construction will take place at CIMC Raffles’ Longkou shipyard in Yantai, China. The dual fuel roll-on/roll-off vessels, developed by Knud E. Hansen, will be 200-meters-long and 37-meters-wide with 6,500 CEU capacity. Each will be equipped with one Type C LNG tank for gas-powered operation. https://gcaptain.com/cimc-raffles-to-construct-dual-fuel-car-carriers-for-wallenius/
6. World Shipping Council Says Normal Demand, Not More Regulation, Will Help Solve Supply Chain Issues
The World Shipping Council (WSC) is coming to the defense of ocean liners after President Biden issued an executive order addressing anti-competitive behavior in shipping and other industries, suggesting it is the unprecedented demand for imports that has thrown supply chains into disarray rather than any fault of the liners.
The United States has faced unprecedented cargo congestion since the second half of last year when the U.S. and global economy began emerging from COVID-19 shut-downs. https://gcaptain.com/world-shipping-council-says-normal-demand-not-regulation-will-help-solve-supply-chain-issues/
7. US Maritime, Justice Agencies to Partner on Antitrust Issues
The United States Federal Maritime Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on Monday agreed to boost cooperation and communication in their respective oversight and enforcement responsibilities of the ocean liner shipping industry. https://www.marinelink.com/news/us-maritime-justice-agencies-partner-489105
8. Biden administration targets lines over detention and demurrage
In a wide-ranging Executive Order from 9 July on the subject of “Promoting Competition in the American Economy” , the White House is asking the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to “Encourage the Federal Maritime Commission to ensure vigorous enforcement against shippers charging American exporters exorbitant charges.” https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/biden-administration-targets-lines-over-detention-and-demurrage
9. Baltic Index Flat, Capesizes Hit Near 2-Week High
The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index was steady on Monday as lower rates for the panamax vessel segment offset gains in the capesize index, which touched a near two-week high. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels that carry dry bulk commodities, was unchanged at 3,300. The capesize index was up 35 points, or 0.9%, at 3,770, gaining for a fourth straight session to its highest since June 30.
https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Baltic+index+flat%2C+capesizes+hit+near+2-week+high
10. Piracy And Armed Robbery Incidents At Lowest Level In 27 Years, But Risks Remain To Seafarers, IMB Cautions
IMB’s latest global piracy report details 68 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships – the lowest total since 1994 – down from 98 incidents during the same period last year. In the first six months of 2021, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 61 vessels boarded, four attempted attacks, two vessels fired upon and one vessel hijacked. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Piracy+and+armed+robbery+incidents+at+lowest+level+in+27+years%2C+but+risks+remain+to+seafarers%2C+IMB+cautions
