‘Shipshape 10 List’, a list of news and articles published in the current week that a senior executive in shipping, shipping finance, commodities, energy, supply chain and infrastructure should had noticed; news and articles that are shaping the agenda and the course of the maritime industry.

Sometimes seemingly tangential, periodically humorous, occasionally sarcastic, sporadically artistic, inferentially erotic, but always insightful and topical.

And, this week’s ‘Shipshape 10’:

On trade:
1. Whatever Happened to Free Trade? (The Wall Street Journal)

While more and bigger containerships still getting delivered:
2a. Biggest Ship to Ever Call On U.S. East Coast Arriving in May (gCaptain)

2b. Madrid Maersk Snatches Record from MOL Triumph (The Maritime Executive)

Chinese financing always on focus:
3a. A Sunny Spell – A new Mood of Optimism Infects Investors in China’s Banks (The Economist)

3b. Chinese Finance is Storing up Trouble for the rest of the World (Financial Times)

Ongoing concerns on the apparent sinking of MV ’Stellar Daisy’; Lloyd’s List article quoting Basil Karatzas:
4a. Stellar Daisy Casualty Sparks Karatzas Warning on Conversions (Lloyd’s List)

4b. Intercargo Calls for Quick and Thorough Investigation into MV ‘Stellar Daisy’ Sinking (Seatrade)

4c. “Rolling like I’m inside Washing Machine”: Terrifying Account Sinking MV ‘Stellar Daisy’

Korean shipbuilder DSME seemingly in an existential unbearable lightness of being, being getting into receivership and obtaining more newbuilding orders; Wall Street Journal article quoting Basil Karatzas:
5a. Korean Shipbuilder’s Survival Hinges on Creditors’ Losses (The Wall Street Journal)

5b. HMM in for up to 10 VLCCs at DSME (Splash 24/7)

Insightful articles on the German shipping market from Lloyd’s List:
6a. Rickmers Maritime Trust falls but Nemesis dances on (Lloyd’s List)

6b. German Owners on the Brink (Lloyd’s List)

While another German company with pedigree has fallen off the pier:
7a. Rickmers Maritime to be Wound-up After Last Ditch Restructuring Talks Fail (Seatrade)

7b. Charter Market Recovery Too Late to Save Rickmers Maritime (The Loadstar via gCaptain)

On commodities and iron ore:
8a. Iron ore Sinks as China Glut Unnerves Traders (The Financial Times)

8b. China’s Steel Pillars Corrode (Bloomberg)

LNG definitely is promisingly in the news with every day:
9a. LNG-Fueled Mega Container Ship Design Approved (The Maritime Executive)

9b. Gas Fleet Concept Receives Approval in Principle (The Maritime Executive)

9c. Jaxport’s LNG Bunkering Facility is Ready to Work (The Maritime Executive)

9d. New U.S. Pipelines to Drive Natural Gas Boom as LNG Exports Surge (Reuters)

With global warming and the navigating in the Arctic being critical:
10. Icebreakers – The quickest way to break the ice is by submarine (The Economist)

And, a few more sad thoughts on yet another shipping tragedy, the Jones Act ferry MV ‘El Faro’ that was lost last year during the hurricane Joaquin:

11a. ’I’M A GONER’: El Faro’s Last Hours as Ship Sails into Storm (Associated Press)

11b. El Faro’s Tragic Ending ‘Burned’ in Investigator’s Mind (Associated Press)

LNG was on the central topic at the 2017 Columbia Global Energy Summit. From left, Dr Tim Boersma (CGEP), Charif Souki (Tellurian), Dr Tatiana Mitrova (CGEP), Jeroen van der Veer (ex-CEO Shell), Fu Chengyu (former Chairman of CNOOC / Sinopec). Image credit: Karatzas Images.

© 2013 – present Basil M Karatzas & Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co.  All Rights Reserved.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:  Access to this blog signifies the reader’s irrevocable acceptance of this disclaimer. No part of this blog can be reproduced by any means and under any circumstances, whatsoever, in whole or in part, without proper attribution or the consent of the copyright and trademark holders of this website.Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that information herewithin has been received from sources believed to be reliable and such information is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing, no warranties or assurances whatsoever are made in reference to accuracy or completeness of said information, and no liability whatsoever will be accepted for taking or failing to take any action upon any information contained in any part of this website.  Thank you for the consideration.