The collapse of Hamburg carrier Hansa Heavy Lift, the bunker sector in Singapore, Maersk's credit rating downgrade as well as a temperature reading of the tanker and dry bulk markets were some of ShippingWatch's big stories this week.
Danish tanker carrier Torm's CFO Christian Søgaard-Christensen has expressed a wish to resign, and the carrier has thus started looking for a replacement for the position.
Peace rather than trade war between China and the US is one of the most important issues for Norwegian shipping in 2019, CEO Harald Solberg tells ShippingWatch. A re-escalation of the trade war will have major consequences for one segment in Norwegian shipping in particular.
The Port of Singapore looks set to reach a record level for container trade in 2018, reports Seatrade.
A series of major equity managers are mentioned as potential buyers for OOCL's Long Beach container terminal on the US West Coast. The terminal has been put up for sale as part of Cosco's acquisition of the Hong Kong-based shipping line.
Three South Korean shipping companies are in the process of ordering new ships at a Chinese yard for close to USD 600 million, reports Tradewinds. The orders are backed by Vale.
This week also brought a slide in container rates, though the index is still higher than at the same time last year.
![Birgitte Ringstad[1].jpg](https://finanswatch.dk/incoming/article11018887.ece/ALTERNATES/e/Birgitte%20Ringstad%5B1%5D.jpg)
A surprisingly weak fourth quarter for dry bulk does not necessarily imply a weak 2019. Rather, the chief executives of Norwegian dry bulk carriers Golden Ocean and Klaveness eye a much stronger year ahead, they tell ShippingWatch.
From Jan. 1, the names of carriers that grossly violate sulfur regulations in Danish waters will be published for everyone to see. That is the essence of a new law just passed by Danish parliament.
China will, by all accounts, announce a new environmental initiative before long. The country is expected to surpass IMO's 2020 sulfur regulations and ban the use of open-loop scrubbers within a few years, according to estimations.
The world's biggest buyers of liquefied natural gas could quadruple demand by 2030, predicts consultancy company Wood Mackenzie in new report. Especially one country contributes to the growth.
The EU Court of Justice has rejected the EU Commission's approval of financing for the Fehmarn Belt fixed link. The financing scheme was not examined thoroughly enough, ruled the court. Scandlines says the project has in effect been halted.
As China's President Xi Jinping works toward a trade deal with the US, China resumed its buying of US soybeans in a move that brings some relief to US farmers.
Are the surging tanker markets in recent weeks the de facto proof that the optimists were right and that the much-anticipated recovery emerged in 2018? Yes, says Scorpio Tankers, while major competitor Maersk Tankers says: No.
Maersk has earmarked USD 2-3 billion in the next decade for the company's ambitions to become CO2 neutral by 2050.
The coming months will bring a new struggle for the Norwegian offshore shipping companies, says Harald Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, in an interview with ShippingWatch. "There is significant imbalance in the supply chain," he says.
After stepping down in 2017 as CEO of former Rickmers Trust Management, Søren Andersen is once again heading a Rickmers-controlled company. He will now head a brand new shipping company.
CMA CGM recently launched a new online booking system, but such an initiative is far from new and has failed in the past, writes Alphaliner. One development in particular will show whether such a system is possible.
ShippingWatch has asked Moody's Maersk expert Maria Maslovsky to elaborate on whether the concerns about Maersk represent concerns about the entire container industry. And on why the ratings bureau is not convinced by Maersk's repeated reference to its robustness.
The merger between Wonsild Dry and Maersk Broker Bulk Chartering will create a company that is better equipped in a broker market that faces further consolidation, says CEO. The company is already looking for new acquisitions and mergers.
Scorpio Tankers sees a huge jump in product tanker rates over the last one-and-a-half months. The company's CEO and chair expects that the market will improve in the new year.
The aftermath at Hansa Heavy Lift is underway less than a day after the company filed for insolvency. A new situation has emerged, says major competitor Zeamarine, which, according to ShippingWatch's sources, was previously interested in acquiring Hansa Heavy.
Chaos could erupt in ports in the first months of 2020, as shipowners are not prepared to operate under the new global sulfur regulations, says Martin Stopford, president, Clarksons Research.
The struggling commodity trader, once Asia's biggest, is seeking to restructure its debt through a Bermudan court using a local insolvwency process. The company's original plan failed as Singapore authorities blocked a vital element.
There are significant differences between the various much-discussed bunker surcharges, which liner shipping companies are working to introduce ahead of the 2020 sulfur cap, even though they appear similar at first glance. Here is a look at the most important new bunker adjustment factors.
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