After a seemingly ‘benign’ period, we have seen several serious container ship fires lately, including a large one leading to tragic loss of life. Congested ports in Asia and increasing traffic of large container ships around Africa are also a cause for concern. Which begs the question: are container ship fires on the rise again?
Cargo-related fires on board container ships have long been a hot topic in the industry – and rightly so: In 2023, we saw on average one container cargo fire every 9 days, according to statistics from Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS). This is an increase compared with 2020, when the number was approximately one container fire every two weeks. Continue reading “Container ship fires on the rise again?”
In 2023, the global soya bean market (also known as soybeans and soyabeans) was valued at over USD 200.37 billion, and it is projected to grow to USD $259 billion by 2032.The shipping industry plays a significant role in supporting this global industry, but behind these impressive figures lies a perilously narrow window for safe ocean transport. Despite being loaded in sound condition and carried by well-maintained vessels on unexceptional voyages, soya beans continue to arrive in a deteriorated condition far too often. Claims related to spoilage frequently run into millions of dollars, exposing shipowners, operators, and marine insurers to significant financial risk.