John Faraclas
The BDI (Baltic Dry Index) clinched 17 points since last Friday the 11th of August and now stands at 1,155, thanks to the Capers and partially to the Panamaxes; the Geopolitical issues and news are very disturbing… John Faraclas’ daily recap:
The Capers saw the BCI up 80 points at 2,093 creating its own momentum… We shall see how long this “euphoria” lasts…
The Panamaxes with only 16 points sees the BPI at 1,272 assisting many owners…
The Supras’ BSI gained just one point and now reads 760, and the
Handies’ BHSI continued its fall – just one point, but a fall is a fall – now standing at 465…
The Wets with minimal changes; the last published BDTI (Dirties) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 621 – up one, and 551 – minus one respectively…
The WTI maintains a safe level below the US$ 50 – now at US$ 47.54… with many eyebrows rising…
The Containership trade once again “sends” encouraging messages, but we do not see, even as you read these lines anything tangible, only tough times ahead given in our view the multiple of risks – trade, geopolitical and credit to name but a few… We must remind our readers and all the analysts and specialist in compiling sort, medium and long term reports/forecast NEVER to forget the division between Liner Shipping and Tramp Shipping!
Trade might be affected form example from the Chinese habit to spoils everybody’s intellectual property and the USA will be a touch cookie on this issue. Indeed this time there might be a trade war with incalculable repercurssions!
Good to see the Cruise Industry doing well in some geographical regions, particularly in the Med – with the Aegean reaching its peak; Maritime Tourism at its best with the thousand of crafts around too… No other region enjoys such a success!
A few important Geopolitical issues now which affected Planet Ocean during the weekend and now as you read this report…:
The Migrants remain the number one issue and wonder how we can effectively and without jeopardising the current situation reduce the influx to Europe which for sure is losing its social cohesion… We say “wonder” as it is very clear that something sinister or even stupid or even on purpose is taking place as only a Naval Blockade could effectively do the job…. The effects will soon be shuttering from this unprecedented influx!
The the Wars in Syria and Iraq with ISIS and all the dozens of others in revolt there preaching their own thing… continue devastating everything and above all the human lives lost, traumatised and people all over the wider region suffering… We do not see light at the end of the tunnel… Shame…
Turkey still trying to grasp the chance and make it more than a mess everywhere. Time to settle all this animosity which president Erdogan and his likes built up against Europe and others in the region; a region which attracted the Turks but now seems far from joining… Europe, as things stand, will be Turkey’s midsummer night’s dream. People converge, they don’t continuously fight, particularly in their neighbourhood… like the Turks. Wonder what one makes on the latest financial status of Turkey…
Greece next door is still in a multi-limbo with no mercy from its lenders and no signs of good house-keeping by its politicians following three bail-outs and a fourth in the making; that includes all MPs. We have seen their behaviour during the continuous wild-fires burning the mainland and the islands this very moment… Of course there are many regions …”yet” to burn as the shameful politicians are only on a blah blah mode accusing each other whilst the country continues to burn. Many regions are in a state of emergency and other are trying to be …”included” in this state of yet another theatre of the absurd… The island of Spetses, then Dionyssos, Kapandriti in Attica including many more places, Ilia in western Peloponnese, Xilokastron in the Corinthian Gulf, Koumberi in Achaia, you name it… There is no excuse at all; end of the story, time for all 300MPs to go…. This is a call for all to join in ousting all the madding crowd from Athens Constitution Square!!! The only good thing that happens in Greece after Shipping is Tourism and in particularly Maritime Tourism!
There were wild fires in Sicily and now at Pietracorbana in Corsica… in Albania too… OK fine, we all know the natural wild even fires, but not the arson or sabotage and other causes… Enough!
Cyprus awaits the verdict only from president Trump; but under a pile of domestic and international problems, wonder what he can do. As a first step the EU must create Peace and the reunification of the island – the rest is pure excuses and nonsense!
On BREXIT it is suggested that the UK might enjoy a temporary customs union’ with EU; o Tempora o Mores ! What is encouraging though is the Shipping factor; the forthcoming biennial London International Shipping Week – LISW2017 will boost both sides of the embankment on Father Thames as well as the UK’s capital, Londinium, the administrative capital of the Shipping Industry on all fronts. The International Community’s thumbs up for the Square Mile is unique. Unique organisations and events among them the Capital Link conference and that of the London Law Shipping Centre, not to mention the big LISW debate on the 14th of September. Viewers can log in LISW2017 banner at the main page herein and have an overview! The countdown is on; less than 27 days; an international event not to be missed!!! The Athens Stock Exchange 12th London Road show will be on too!
In France we had yet another deliberate incident with a car ramming a pizza restaurant killing a girl and injuring a dozen others, four being serious. We shall see if this atrocity was terrorist motivated…
At the other side of the Atlantic there was a despicable situation in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, the first ultra-racist event which at the end made president Trump condemn the whole shameful thing… Caution.
In South America and following president Trump’s comments, Nicolas Maduro, the ruler of Venezuela ordered military drills…
The North Korean saga, although seems diffused, it might erupt violently; it remains to be seen whether China really wants Peace next door to the Korean Peninsular!
In Africa now and mudslides in Sierra Leone kill over 300… Terrible!
Smoking is prohibited in certain areas of Greenland due to wild fires there!
That’s all for now, more news tomorrow… until then be on guard from any eventuality deriving from Pirates and Terrorists wherever you are!
Uploaded: 19:19 BST
Updated 23:55 BST
