Speaking at the Sea Asia Global Forum is one of the best-known figures in Asian dry bulk shipping Khalid Hashim, managing director of Precious Shipping. While dry bulk shipping is going through times at the moment, Hashim is a man who has experienced many cycles of the market both good and bad, and sees potential even in the current market.
He told Seatrade Global that low energy prices would reduce the cost of producing commodities, which could in turn boost demand.
“If oil prices stay low it means that all commodity prices will also stay low and that should increase sea borne trade and hence demand for dry bulk ships. If this surge in demand coincides with moderation in supply you could have an interesting market,” Hashim explained.
On the port side of the equation reviewing 2014, PSA International ceo Tan Chong Meng said in its annual results, “Last year was challenging for the shipping and port industry. Global trade growth was modest and that, coupled with the introduction of many mega vessels, resulted in overcapacity and low freight rates for liner carriers. “
Tan, who speaks in the Asian Voice in World Shipping: Liner session, highlighted the challenges of larger ships and alliances. ”The increasingly large ships and complex alliances have also led to much greater operational demands being placed on port operators; this is a structural shift which will impact all ports as ships across all shipping routes continue to upsize,” he said.
Giving a keynote address at the Offshore Marine Forum on the second day of Sea Asia will be IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu. One of the questions at the Challenges session of the forum will be the issue of the manpower for sector.
Quality manpower is an issue of great importance to Sekimizu and “Maritime education and training is the theme for this year’s World Maritime Day. “Effective standards of training remain the bedrock of a safe and secure shipping industry, which needs to preserve the quality, practical skills and competence of qualified human resources,” Sekimizu said at the launch of theme in January.
Speaking in the LNG Transportation session is Panama Canal Authority administrator Jorge L. Quijano. Transits of LNG shipping are set to be a major new sector for The Panama Canal when its expansion opens for commercial shipping traffic in 2015, providing a new, shorter route from east coast North America to Asia.
With the expansion of the canal will come a new toll structure in 2016 which Quijano told Seatrade Global earlier this yearwould include a series of “very innovative” incentives representing “a totally new approach”. The tariffs for LNG, which will be calculated in cubic metres, have been through a consultation process and will be “very acceptable to the market”.
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