As countries place restrictions on the crews and vessels that have called ports in China lawyers have been grappling with the question of whether a ship can refuse to call at port due to fears of coronavirus.
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is requiring all ships transiting the waterway that have called countries with confirmed cases of the coronavirus to report contact.
The importance of Chinese demand in the long-haul VLCC sector, and the potential impact of the Wuhan coronavirus, is casting shadows over the entire tanker market.
Australia’s maritime union have criticised what they describe as the government’s “non-existent” response to the threat of the Wuhan coronavirus at the country’s ports.
As the Wuhan coronavirus crisis in China deepens rapidly shipowners have been warned to be prepared to face issues such as quarantine and closures and resulting charter party issues.
In an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus Singapore has started temperature screening of seafarers and passengers arriving at ports in the country.
The tanker market could face short-term headwinds if the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak on China’s oil demand is similar to that of SARS in 2003, according to brokers Poten & Partners.