Covid-19 Crisis in India Proves Seismic For Global Shipping

As many industries and sectors around the world are bearing the brunt of covid-19, global shipping has been struck hard by the second raging virus wave in India which provides a huge number of seafarers.

Citing data of International Chamber of Shipping, about 240,000 of an estimated 1.6 million seafarers globally hail from India but the covid-19 crisis in the South Asian country has rocked global shipping.

United Nations (UN) data estimates around 80% of global trade is carried out through sea routes.

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The major shipping ports in Singapore and United Araba Emirates (UAE) have stopped ships coming from India to make changes in the crew.

According to seafarers’ employer Wilhelmsen Ship Management, Zhoushan port in China is not permitting any ships to enter premises that have traveled to India or Bangladesh during the past three months.

The officials in the shipping industry are also worried as crews returning from the South Asian country are being found covid-19 infected despite they were virus-free before getting on for voyages.

The related authorities said a vessel from India parked at Durban’s port had 14 of its crew members tested covid-19 positive.

Several crew-providing companies have halted crew changeovers in ships that have traveled to India during the past recent months.

A German crew management group, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, is replacing seafarers from other countries with Indians as they are disembarking while those awaiting to board the ships from covid-19 hit country will also be dropped.