Getting crews on and off ships and airplanes

The three largest global organizations representing the workforces of the maritime and air transport industries have asked their government members to ensure the continued cross-border movement of these “key workers” to and from their jobs.

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a flurry of government bans on international travel, which has obstructed necessary crew changes to keep the world’s maritime and aircraft fleet, as well as at ports and logistics hubs, in operation and goods flowing.

Th...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/getting-crews-on-and-off-ships-and-airplanes

Top time sucks in ocean shipping

Bill Rooney, the vice president of strategic development for Kuehne + Nagel, told the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) this week that requests for quotes (RFQs) are “a good idea gone bad.”

“Number 2 on my list of things that suck up more time without adequate payoff are RFQs,” Rooney said. “Many of them are way too complicated. … It’s in many cases a process that’s really pretty bad. As they’re conducted today, many RFQs lead to faulty and suboptimal business decisions.”

Rooney said he...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/top-time-sucks-in-ocean-shipping

Career Tracks: Coast Guard, Crane Worldwide and Southeastern Freight

Rear Adm. Melissa Bert has been invested as judge advocate general and chief counsel of the U.S. Coast Guard

Bert is the first woman to hold that office.

Bert most recently was the Coast Guard’s director of governmental and public affairs. Previous positions included supporting U.S. engagement with the International Maritime Organization as chief of the Maritime and International Law Office and serving as captain of the port for southeastern Alaska.

Crane Worldwide Logistics

Jason Stretton has...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/career-tracks:-coast-guard,-crane-worldwide-and-southeastern-freight

International shipping industry issues plan to save 150,000 trapped seafarers

Pictured: a small container ship near port. Credit: Thomas B from Pixabay.

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A plan to save 150,000 trapped seafarers, put together by global maritime bodies, has been issued by the United Nations agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO). A population of 150,000 trapped people is about equivalent in size to the population of Cairns or Darwin.

Some crews have already spent many months at sea and they urgently need to be repatriated.

“Shipping is vital to the maintenance of global...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/international-shipping-industry-issues-plan-to-save-150000-trapped-seafarers/

Navigating service contract negotiations during COVID-19

This is no ordinary year for American shippers and freight forwarders that are attempting to finalize their annual ocean service contracts with the container carriers.

The uncertainty of how much cargo will be available from the shippers and the amount of capacity offered by the carriers for the next contract season, which generally starts in May, remains anyone’s guess in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“The biggest obstacle we face in service contract negotiations this year is the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/navigating-service-contract-negotiations-during-covid-19

UN agencies team-up to tackle marine plastic litter

Pictured: a plastic water bottle found floating in the ocean; Photo: Brian Yurasits and Unsplash

United Nations bodies, the International Maritime Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization, have made progress on the Global Litter (GloLitter) Partnerships Project.

The agreement between the two bodies explains how the agencies will joint execute the project and sets out the next steps “toward the many strategic partnerships” that are anticipated.

GloLitter was launched in December last...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/un-agencies-team-up-to-tackle-marine-plastic-litter/

Ports urged to maintain flow of critical goods during Covid-19 pandemic

The containership CMA CGM John Adams inbound to Savannah, Ga., with the tugs Cooper Moran (left) and Laura K Moran. Kirk Moore photo.
Trade by sea must continue to flow in order to maintainthe continued provision of essential goods, including vital medical supplies, during the unprecedented global situation arising from the coronavirus pandemic. That was the message of ajoint statement from the heads of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO)on Friday.

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriyastrongly urgedcustoms administrations and port s

https://www.workboat.com/news/bluewater/ports-urged-to-maintain-flow-of-critical-goods-during-covid-19-pandemic/

Joint call for the G20 to support the maritime sector and global supply chains

Pictured: in this false colour image, a cell (coloured blue) that has been isolated from a patient undergoes apoptosis (pre-programmed cell-death) because it is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the pathogen that causes COVID-19; coloured in pink). Image: supplied by NIH NIAID

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) have joined forces to call on G20 leaders to act quickly to protect global supply chains from the impact of COVID-19.

In an...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/joint-call-for-the-g20-to-support-the-maritime-sector-and-global-supply-chains/

UK Ports concerned about IMO actions

The British Ports Association announces: 

  • Ahead of discussions at the MEPC 74, the British Ports Association warns that IMO must maintain a relentless focus on long term measures that will have the biggest impact and not be distracted by gimmicks or convenient short term ‘solutions’ that delay meaningful action
  • Ultimate prize is near zero emission shipping, which means radically speeding up development and adoption of clean fuels

UK ports are watching developments at the International Maritime...

https://container-news.com/uk-ports-concerned-imo-actions/

Singapore Ready To Supply Clean Ship Fuel

  • Singapore, the world’s largest maritime refueling port reported that they have enough low-sulfur fuel next year to meet new demand.
  • Singapore has been working with big oil refiners and shipowners to meet new demand tied to emissions measures.
  • Shanghai, Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas, Rotterdam and Hamburg are also working to secure supplies of the new lower-emission fuel.
  • New fuels are expected to cost 40% more than traditional bunker fuel, boosting operators’ annual fuel bill by as much as $15...

http://mfame.guru/singapore-ready-to-supply-clean-ship-fuel/