The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will strengthen its status as an international shipping center by leveraging advantages in services and development of the Greater Bay Area, official said here on Wednesday.

In recent months, sanctioned countries such as Iran and Venezuela have reportedly increased their exports of oil, and cargo trackers have noticed increased ship-to-ship (STS) transfers at sea, most commonly off Malaysia, Africa and in the Caribbean.

The Board of the West of England P&I Club has today announced a 15% general increase for mutual P&I and FD&D Members. This reflects another challenging year for the P&I industry, as record IG Pool claims and pandemic-related liabilities remain a persistent challenge.

Thomas Miller Specialty, a global insurance provider across a number of sectors including marine and offshore, has recruited senior marine and energy underwriter Mark Nunn as its specialist offshore underwriter in Asia Pacific.

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) fully endorses the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization that was announced last month by the Getting to Zero Coalition. The Call to Action unites the voices of more than 150 industry leaders, companies and organizations representing the entire maritime value chain, including shipping, cargo, energy, finance, ports, and infrastructure.

The 2021 theme was chosen by the IMO as part of a year of action for seafarers, who play a vital role as key workers for global supply chains but are facing unprecedented hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seafarers have had to prolong their service on board much beyond their contractual periods, have been prevented from going home and lived with concern for their loved ones at home who, apart to missing their presence and support at home, can also be affected by the pandemic itself. Added to this comes enduring prolonged quarantine periods related to crew changes. In far too many cases seafarers have been denied access to necessary and sometimes urgent medical care ashore, whether Covid-related or not and sadly, some states have repeatedly refused to allow deceased seafarers to come ashore for repatriation. This tragic situation only compounds the sorrow and hardship suffered by next-of-kin at home and crew members on board. This treatment of seafarers, working to keep the world turning, is not just lacking in dignity; but may be in contravention of international law.

Seafarer wellbeing has been a focal topic for Standard Club in recent years, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and we are proud to be working in partnership with Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea programme, sharing helpful advice and resources over several weeks.

The UK P&I Club and CAE, the global leader in commercial aviation training, has jointly launched a safety book on transferable lessons from the flight deck aimed at mariners. Entitled ‘Maritime Team Dynamics’, the event launch occurred during International Shipping Week at 1 America Square in the City of London.

The UK P&I Club is to host a Wellness at Sea webinar for international maritime welfare charity Sailors Society on Thursday 30th September for maritime colleges in India and their current students.

The shipping industry is currently witnessing an exceptional boom in the container trade, and due to the increasing demand, some freight forwarders and other parties are exploring unconventional methods to accomplish their targets and commitments.