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The shipping conference season is back in full swing. Around the world, shipping executives are putting on their lanyards and gathering to discuss a raft of topics, hopefully coming to a few conclusions about the future and possibly even getting a few deals done. By the time new arrival Geneva Dry makes its debut in May, to be followed by the venerable Posidonia gig in June, everyone should be up to date on industry ideas and gossip. Unlikely to be attending these specific events is the vast constituency beyond those directly involved in the industry, who are vaguely aware of the importance of shipping but who often find their information chiefly sourced from the mainstream media, which sometimes lacks the context and nuance those of us with skin in the game take for granted. So what is it that interests the non-specialists about our industry? A recent discussion hosted by the legendary Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong saw a panel of three locally based shipowners attempt to fill in the blanks and dispel some of the myths under the title of ‘The Shipping Forecast’. Composed mainly of locally based business people, journalists, civil servants and a few shipping types, the audience was a cross section of the community, but the high turnout showed that interest in shipping runs high. Inevitably, the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea was a hot topic. Just as inevitably, nobody was going to assume the role of military strategist or diplomat and predict when Suez transits would return to normal, but this was an opportunity to counter some of the more dramatic headlines predicting inflation and chronic shortages caused by longer voyages. The shipping industry had more than proved its resilience in the pandemic, so a deviation round the Cape will be nowhere near as disruptive or costly as what the world experienced during those grim days. The underlying message was yes, this is a crisis, but it’s manageable in the same way that shipping usually navigates geopolitical dramas, but the critical thing is to ensure seafarer safety. Good news stories about Hong Kong have been thin on the ground recently, so the opportunity to dispel the myth that lower volumes through Hong Kong’s port were further proof of the city’s decline as a maritime centre was seized on by the panelists. All agreed that lifting metal boxes on and off ships was probably not a business a city with no real manufacturing industry and some of the highest real estate costs in the world should target as a growth sector. But the fact that three of the six largest global container port operators were headquartered in Hong Kong shows that Hong Kong has, however, lost none of its skills when it comes to terminal operations and other shipping services. Shipping conference regulars have probably had their fill of the constant discussions on the green transition, but it’s vital to keep getting the message of what shipping is doing across to a broader audience. When asked if shipping was about to have a ‘Tesla moment’, the panelists took the opportunity to stress the incremental efficiencies achieved by energy saving devices and the fact that shipping was already a hugely efficient business, even if the ultimate zero carbon solution was still some way off. If events such as this provoke a bit of thought and understanding outside of the industry, prompt people to look closer at shipping as either an investment or career, or merely prompt better informed debate, they will have achieved something. More should be encouraged elsewhere.

Spreading the word outside our own industry

Sharing the shipping gospel beyond the confines of our industry has always been a challenge. Our special correspondent attends an event that tried to tap into what a broader audience wants to hear about.

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