The Round Table of international shipping associations has protested against the third consecutive annual increases in Suez Canal tolls, saying carriers are “dismayed” by steep hikes with a short notice period.
INTERTANKO Paper on Chemical Tanker Safety Data Sheets
During last April INTERTANKO, in collaboration with industry stakeholders including shipowner representatives and organisations representing shippers (IPTA, CDI, CEFIC, DGAC), has worked on and put together an information paper on the requirements for Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for Chemical Tankers. A summary of this paper is presented in this article.
Facilitation Payments During PSC Inspections
At the Tokyo MoU’s Port State Control Committee meeting held in Singapore during late January, INTERTANKO put over the growing concern from Members that facilitation payments are becoming more commonplace during ship inspections.
INTERTANKO Executive Committee Meeting in Rome
INTERTANKO’s Executive Committee (ExCom) recently held its third meeting for 2012 in Rome, Italy, focusing on the major issues currently facing independent tanker owners such as tanker market sustainability, piracy, ballast water management and air emissions. Participants expressed concern over the state of the tanker industry and the rising costs of shipping, which are considered the most crucial issue facing INTERTANKO’s Members. They noted that, while independent owners acknowledged to have contributed to the problems by over-ordering, current market levels could actually endanger the supply chain element of safe, sustainable transportation of oil, products and chemicals.