Tag Archives: ports

Supply chain decarbonisation needs partnerships to create a reaction

This discussion of a recent UNCTAD paper by Mikael Lind and Wolfgang Lehmacher sheds light on the complex problems facing shipping in the path to decarbonization. It spawned a whole chain of searches for me, to find out more about what some visionaries in the field are saying.

Admittedly seeing the future is fraught with risk. Scenario analysis gives one a sort of lay of the land. The article shows clearly how partnerships are essential since the problem is bigger than any one firm or country.

Read the article, and follow some of the links; you’ll be rewarded with a view of the problems the maritime industry faces to decarbonize.

Nick Savvides 20/09/2022

Supply chain decarbonisation needs partnerships to create a reaction – The Loadstar

Plans primed to get more Ukrainian exports moving

Ukranian nationals can now work as seafarers abroad, to help relieve the shipping problems Ukraine has been seeing since the war with Russia started.

Russia and Ukraine have signed a Black Sea Grain Initiative which allows Ukranian goods to be shipped from three seaports in a safe corridor. Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat and other foodstuffs which are needed throughout the world. There’s a large inventory on hand from previous harvests. Fertilizer is also an export much needed in the rest of the world for agriculture. So far 44 ships carrying over 1 million tons have left through the seaports.

In a danger zone there is always a concern about seamen. Allowing Ukranians to serve as seamen will reduce the problem of finding crews for these vessels. Ukranian infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said Ukraine is ready to increase volumes to 3 million tons a month to prevent global food shortages.

Sam ChambersAugust 29, 2022

Plans primed to get more Ukrainian exports moving – Splash247

Felixstowe dockers lose overtime and union threatens ‘action until Xmas’

The labor strike at the port of Felixstowe in the UK is growing more acrimonious. German ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven are also seeing industrial actions. The current negotiations on the US West coast are also not seeing results yet. And there are impending strikes at Liverpool and the East Coast US looming.

I think there are going to be more of these strikes and actions for more pay and better benefits for port workers.

From the union perspective, when is a better time to strike? When congestion is a problem, when everyone is complaining about missed or late delivery, that is clearly the time to get management to cough up more wages and benefits. And the ocean carriers and port terminal operators are clearly making big money from the high freight rates for containers. some ocean lines have made over 100% profit this past year.

And it’s also true that the recent spate of inflation is making even substantial proposed raises seem paltry. Inflation at 10% makes a single-digit percent raise going backward for workers.

By Mike Wackett 24/08/2022

Felixstowe dockers lose overtime and union threatens ‘action until Xmas’ – The Loadstar