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A blue corner – diverse
and impressive
Scandinavian Shipping Gazette has been a promoter of a common Nordic maritime identity, and never before has the full range of our shipping activities spanned so widely and held such a global importance.
 The Österström bulk carrier “Brilliante” in the Kiel Canal, ”Stena Foreteller” in the back. Photo: Joachim Sjöström
Ship management – in-house
or out-sourced?
The craft of ship management is essential to all shipowners. It concerns the key issue of performance and operational standards and has a major bearing on costs. The choice of management solution is, in short, a key strategic issue throughout the industry.
Denmark: Up, up and away!
The Danish owners are experiencing golden days, earning loads of money from their fleet, which is larger than ever. The coming year will also show a similar tendency, even though no one can guess how the market is going to develop. But the Danes have positioned themselves well, with an order book larger than the existing fleet, measured in DWT.
Maersk Group: 80,000 employees and most of them “home grown”
The world’s largest private-owned shipping company A. P. Møller-Mærsk is in some ways struggling to get enough young people to their education programmes, but in other ways the problem is the opposite: too many applicants and a limited number of positions.
New shipowners in Estonia
Last year, Estonia was made a full member of the Paris MOU. This is a testimony of the consistent work Estonian maritime administration has done over the years and also a recognition of the quality of the Estonian port state control and flag state control activities. Several new vessels have been commissioned by shipowners and the largest shipowner, Tallink, entered the Tallinn stock exchange.
Tallink entered Tallinn
stock exchange
Tallink entered Tallinn stock exchange and subsequently became very reserved in their public statements. At the same time, while the company was busy increasing their assets, the stock value kept slowly sliding downhill. Mr Toivo Ninnas, as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AS Tallink Grupp, initially commented on the changes the company has been through during the past year. However, as always, he ended up discussing the more general concerns of the Estonian shipping trade as the President of the Estonian Shipowners’ Association.
The Finnish merchant fleet
in 2005: Active small shipowners
Even though last year in general could be described as quite uneventful regarding the Finnish merchant fleet, especially the owners of smaller cargo vessels have shown increased activity with several acquisitions at the second hand market.
A Finnish flag for Langh Ship newbuildings
For Oy Langh Ship Ab, it is a matter of course that its two newbuildings on order will fly the Finnish flag. However, the upcoming shortage of Finnish seafarers in most categories could turn out to be a real problem, and not only for Langh Ship, but for all shipping companies operating vessels registered in Finland and Åland.
Germanischer Lloyd: Fastest expanding classification society
Scandinavia and Finland are definitively an interesting and important market for the classification society Germanischer Lloyd. The company is raising its profile in the area and aims at increasing its market share.
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Concern about overcapacity
as shipping stays buoyant
There’s now more concern alongside the usual optimism in the latest developments and comments at Germany’s biggest shipping companies. Many believe that overcapacity this year and next will depress rates although opinions vary on the scale of the depression over the next few years in the wake of an exceptional period of growth and profit.
More vessels might register
under the Latvian flag
Latvia has enacted legislation and set the net wages for seafarers and a tonnage tax for shipping companies. And in order to avoid older and therefore more hazardous vessels being registered under the Latvian flag, there are plans to set an age limit for the vessels that are to be registered.
Lithuanian vessels will remain under the Lithuanian flag
The three largest Lithuanian shipping companies each remain in their respective market niches, and their profitable activities allow for upgrading their fleet. Although all the new vessels have been registered under the Lithuanian flag, the shipowners are expecting changes in the maritime policies that would benefit them more.
 Höegh Autoliners is one of the companies showing determination to grow.
Happy days are here again
– but with an identity problem
There can be no denial: the shipping companies are making money and the shipping/offshore sector is bustling with activity, shipping investment reached its all-time high in 2005. Yet, the Norwegian fleet continues to decline, having lost 26 per cent of its tonnage in six years.
Polish shipping still living
in uncertainty
At the end of last year, the Polish controlled merchant fleet only had two vessels sailing under the Polish flag, both belonging to EuroAfrica Shipping Lines Ltd, Szczecin. The state, being the biggest direct or indirect owner of most Polish shipowning companies, has done hardly anything for the last 17 years. Not a move has been made to enable national shipping companies to benefit from the changes in the international transport market.
Russian shipping companies
gear up their trades
The merchant fleet, operating under Russian flag, has diminished to a quarter of that in the early 1990’s, and the vast majority, some 90 percent, of the around 200 ships built over the last 12 years have been registered abroad. A new international Russian ship registry is being set up, which is expected to attract 750 ships of altogether 17 million DWT under the domestic flag, with a number of tax and fee relieves for shipowners on international trade for newbuildings.
Eagerly awaiting tonnage tax
The Swedish Shipowners’ Association can celebrate its 100th anniversary at a time when most trends points towards a boost for Swedish shipping. Shipowners see potential for a positive development based on factors such as a competitive shipping policy, good market prospects, a modern fleet and continuously increasing demands on the maritime safety and environment protection arena.
Six-digit number of Swedes depend on shipping 
There are about nine million inhabitants in Sweden. Being a country on a peninsula with a large export industry and significant import needs, the future and the development of the Swedish society depend on an effective maritime transport infrastructure. In other words, all nine million plus Swedes are dependent on shipping. But a new study from the Jönköping International Business School also shows that more than 200,000 Swedes are more or less directly depending on shipping and maritime transports for their outcome. |
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2006
Wide world, narrow minds
