14 may 2019 On Monday, China announced that it would raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of American exports and the U.S. formally began the process to implement tariffs on an additional $300 billion in Chinese-made goods, raising fears that the trade war between Beijing and Washington could escalate sharply. …
Read More »BWMS CODE TYPE APPROVAL – URGENT!
13 MAY 2019 The year is 2012, and swarms of applications for Basic and Final Approvals of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) are coming to the IMO. At the same time, industry and others have started questioning whether the type approval guidelines (G8) are out of date and unable to …
Read More »SHIP ESCORTING – A CHANGING MISSION
13 MAY 2019 Ships are escorted in several ports around the world, for instance in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan. Escorting can be carried out in several ways, with all types of tugs at low speeds and with purpose built tugs at higher speeds. It is mainly the latter …
Read More »CHINA WANTS DIGNIFIED TRADE AGREEMENT
12 MAY 2019 China wants an equal and dignified trade agreement with the text to any deal balanced. “We know that every nation has its dignity, so the text ought to be balanced,” said Vice-Premier Liu He late Friday, at the end of two days of trade talks in Washington. …
Read More »U.S. WARNS AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIPS OF POSSIBLE IRANIAN ATTACKS IN MIDDLE EAST
11 MAY 2019 Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers, the U.S. Maritime Administration said on Friday, as a senior Iranian cleric said a U.S. Navy fleet could be “destroyed with one missile.” In the latest tense exchange between Tehran and Washington, Iran’s hardline Revolutionary Guards separately said …
Read More »14 INJURED IN EXPLOSION ABOARD PIPELAY VESSEL
08 may 2219 14 crewmembers were left injured Wednesday (08th May) after an explosion aboard the pipelay barge Israfil Huseynov in the Caspian Sea, according to operator Saipem. As workers were conducting maintenance on shipboard equipment on Wednesday evening, an explosion occurred. According to Azerbaijan’s General Prosecutor’s Office, a technical malfunction in …
Read More »TRUMP RAISES TARIFFS ON $200B IN CHINESE GOODS
09 may 2019 In the early hours of Friday morning, the Trump administration raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent, the latest shot in an escalating transpacific trade war. “Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and …
Read More »NTSB: POOR MAINTENANCE CAUSED FATAL EXPLOSION ON BOUCHARD BARGE
10 may 2019 In a report released Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the fatal explosion and fire aboard the barge Bouchard No. 255 was the result of a lack of effective maintenance and safety management by the Bouchard Transportation Company. According to the NTSB’s brief, the explosion aboard the …
Read More »HEAVY LIFT VESSEL BLUE MARLIN ATTACKED BY PIRATES OFF WEST AFRICA
07 MAY 2019 The Boskalis semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin was ransacked by pirates offshore West Africa on Sunday (05th May), causing damage that has left the ship inoperable. All 20 crew members are reported safe and in good health. Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. confirmed Tuesday that the vessel …
Read More »BUSINESS OF SHIPPING: MARITIME INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATORS
06 MAY 2019 The staid maritime industry now boasts several technology accelerators, with more likely to follow. The accelerator name is self-effacing. These technology “hot houses” are designed to force feed promising start-up firms that offer the promise of highly-sought, cutting-edge, industry-specific software and hardware. Ironically, some of this technology …
Read More »