‘No return to normal’ for UK shipping

Last week, the UK Chamber of Shipping’s Chief Executive Bob Sanguinetti asked the UK shipping minister Kelly Tolhurst for urgent funds to ensure that the shipping industry can continue to bring in food, goods and medicines into the UK as the Covid-19 crisis takes hold.

He said shipowners are adapting as much as they can to meet the Covid-19 challenges, but changes will need to be made to infrastructure, employment and processes on ships and in ports, which will only be possible with support from government.

Sanguinetti described the current situation as a “monumental crisis” and said the UK is not alone in needing financial and political support for its shipping sector. Shipowners around the world are dealing daily with extraordinary upheaval, requiring them to be agile in their responses while still carrying the burden of operational overheads that need to be paid, he said. 

The requested UK emergency shipping fund would include cover for “dramatic” loss of business; support with seafarers’ salaries; grants to assist with the additional costs of virus provisions; grants to deal increased costs such as overtime, agency fees and any other cost associated with providing sufficient crew; delays on VAT payments; and use of credit notes for future travel in lieu of refunding deposits.

For more information visit www.ukchamberofshipping.com

25th March 2020