Reducing shipping delays as emissions and sustainability requirements tighten up

Simon Ring, of Pole Star, warns despite the remarkable resilience of the global economy delays continue to affect the maritime industry

In November, the World Trade Organization revised its forecast for global trade growth in 2021 upwards to 10.8 per cent. Good news, certainly. Yet all around the world, crews and containers are either unavailable or in the wrong places, while the surge in global demand has created bottlenecks. Even if global manufacturing supply chains recover, the shipping industry is unlikely to be fully back to “normal” within 12 months, especially as some ports in Asia and Australia have only just reopened.