Demand shocks keeping aging fleet afloat, argue shipowners

Ship recycling has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, per a recent report by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO). BIMCO — a trade group representing shipowners — states that capacity has been overtaxed by the Red Sea crisis, which has forced shipping lines to take a longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Prior to the emergence of this latest choke point, BIMCO points to the impact of Western sanctions on Russian oil and coal, which similarly stressed tanker and bulker fleets, as well as the sudden surge of consumer demand for imported goods during…