Coronavirus, shipping’s greatest black swan event of the century so far, dominated all headlines. Container carriers braced for plummeting demand, and severe equipment shortages in western countries. Dry bulk carriers have had to factor in port and mill closures at key load areas, while the industry as a whole has had to work out how to get crew changes done when so few ports are willing to allow seafarers ashore.

Oil price wars between Russia and Saudi Arabia sparked a tanker fixing fre...