Cargoes pile up across Europe on day 14 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The global seaborne commodities trading map continues to be redrawn at a blistering pace in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago.
Yesterday, the United States announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports.
“We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy,” president Joe Biden said in remarks from the White House. “That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”
This will apply only for energy imports into the US. The UK intends to implement such a ban “by the end of the year”.
Splash247
More schedule disruptions seen coming for Indian shippers
Schedule reliability is becoming a greater concern for Indian shippers as they scramble to find more vessel space necessary to hit fiscal year-end shipment target goals.
Hapag-Lloyd’s East Africa-India Service (EA2) is skipping Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Nhava Sheva) and Mundra on its current voyage, the two port calls in India. Nhava Sheva and Mundra together handle the chunk of Indian containerized trade.
“MV Emirates Asante V02205N/V02210S will omit Nhava Sheva and Mundra, India, and imports will be discharged in Jebel Ali, UAE, for further connection to their final port of delivery,” the German carrier said in a customer advisory.
Container News
White House accelerates plans for zero-emission trucks
The White House has reportedly been looking at the regulatory actions of California to help formulate national plans to convert heavy buses and trucks to zero-emission technology.
Ports, like the Los Angeles and Long Beach ones, are a big part of the initial plan. The Department of Transportation said it will promote cleaner port equipment — such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure for drayage trucks, cargo equipment, and harbor craft — via grants.
And because there have been faster deployments than expected, the EPA said it is considering technical updates to its standards for model years 2027 to 2029 to "better reflect new levels of market penetration in segments with expected zero-emission vehicle deployment."
Supply Chain Dive
MSC temporarily suspends bookings to / from Belarus
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is introducing as of 3 March 2022, with immediate effect, a temporary stoppage on all cargo bookings to/from Belarus.
MSC will continue to accept and screen bookings for delivery of essential goods such as food, medical equipment and humanitarian goods.
Cargo already in transit to/from Belarus prior to 3 March 2022 will continue to be processed but may be subject to inspections and operational constraints. Bookings confirmed prior to 3 March 2022 will equally be handled but also may be impacted by significant operational issues.
AJOT
Shipping marks International Women’s Day pledging inclusion efforts
While the shipping industry is not historically known for its successes at diversity, the industry continues to make progress with several new initiatives planned to further inclusion in shipping. Marking the occasion of the 2022 International Women’s Day, many shipping companies took the opportunity to highlight advancements made by women in all aspects of shipping while the International Maritime Organization, International Chamber of Shipping, Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International), and others launched initiatives to support the next generation of female seafarers.
In an industry where less than two percent of seafarers are women, companies are proud to highlight their progress while also recognizing that there is still much to be done. However, it is not uncommon to find women in positions of command and authority on the bridge of vessels ranging from cruise ships to tankers.
Maritime Executive
Embassies striving hard to repatriate seafarers stranded in Ukraine waters
Estimates suggest there are more than 2,000 seafarers stranded in Ukrainian waters in an increasingly dangerous situation with Russia tipped to shortly launch a full-scale assault on Odessa, Ukraine’s top port, Sam Chambers of the Splash247 news platform reported today.
Latest data from shipping platform Sea/ shows there are still 100 merchant ships in Ukrainian waters this morning, down by more than 50% since the conflict started 12 days ago. All Ukrainian ports have been closed since the conflict started with ships at berth unable to leave. Embassies and consulates have been working around the clock to get affected crew out of the country.
The Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) last week designated areas in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as Warlike Operations Areas triggering an increased security level and other entitlements for seafarers in the war zone.
Maritime Magazine
