Sadan Kaptanoglu will become BIMCO’s first woman President in June 2019. Ms. Kaptanoglu supports the Women in Maritime initiative to attract more women in the sector. However, the economic, regulatory and environmental challenges will remain at the centre of her agenda.
BIMCO issued its latest digital bulletin focusing on the challenges that have risen around compliance with ballast water regulations. The association reminds that operators should take measures to comply as soon as possible, despite the fact that the focus is on the 2020 sulphur cap.
The continued austerity of the tanker market conditions led owners to dig deep into the oversupply of capacity, with BIMCO expecting the tanker fleet to keep growing. However, a short-term rate recovery is not expected, because of the refining industry’s maintenance season.
BIMCO announced it is developing a clause dealing with cyber security risks and incidents that might affect the ability of one of the parties to perform their contractual obligations. The clause is being drafted by a small team led by Inga Froysa of Klaveness, in Oslo, while other partners involved include Navig8, the UK P&I Club and HFW. The project is due for completion in May 2019.
A China’s former trade negotiator has raised questions about the country’s plan in the trade war with the US. According to Long Yongtu, who participated in China’s entryn to the World Trade Organization, believes that the government made an error by immediately retaliating against US tariffs.
BIMCO has updated its two standard ship repair contracts: REPAIRCON, which is for major work at a repair yard; and MINREPCON, which is for minor repair work that contractors can do when a ship is in port. BIMCO’s Documentary Committee approved both contracts in Copenhagen on 13 November.
In a bid to respond to the increasing attention and pressure surrounding biofouling management, BIMCO announced the launch of a survey to gain insight into how shipowners are managing the topic and to provide relevant advice to IMO, as the Organization is currently working on how to improve biofouling management.
BIMCO’s 2020 Bunker Clause working group is working on two key clauses addressing the global switch to 0.5% sulphur content fuel on 1 January 2020. The “2020 Global Marine Fuel Sulphur Content Clause”, which is a general compliance provision, will be put forward for adoption by BIMCO’s Documentary Committee on 13 November.
The trade war combined with the Chinese tariffs on imports of US soya beans are making their affects visible during the beginning of the soya bean exporting period in the US, as it has seen a 97% decrease in the amount of soya beans it sends to China, BIMCO said.
As more than 18.000 inspections take place on board foreign ships every year in the Paris MoU ports, BIMCO provides guidance on how to prepare for inspections, highlighting that the best way to ensure and succeed a port inspection is a good preparation, an open mind and positive attitude to the PSCOs.
