MANILA -- An employers’ group for Norwegian shipping and offshore companies is concerned the trade war between the United States and China can have an impact on the shipping industry if it lingers for five years, but sees stable recruitment of seafarers in the Philippines.
Harald Solberg, chief executive officer of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA), said the trade dispute is “influencing” the growth in the world economy, where the shipping industry is heavily related.
“We are prepared that the slowdown of the world economy also will lead to a slowdown in the amount for shipping services… If this trade war goes on and even tightening of the tariffs (in) the next five years, I will be very worried,” he said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
But Solberg is confident that recruitment of seafarers in the Philippines will be “pretty stable going forward”.
He said NSA-owned and operated vessels recruit 20,000 Filipino seafarers every year.
Norway has the fifth-largest shipping fleet in the world measured by market value, including some of the most advanced vessels in the world. Filipino seafarers play an important role in Norwegian shipping.
“Their work ethic and flexibility have been important factors for our industry for several decades,” he added.
Solberg arrived in the Philippines Tuesday to meet with Filipino stakeholders and to discuss two big trends in the maritime industry: green shipping and digitalization.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided that shipping has to cut its climate gas emissions by a minimum of 50 percent by 2050.
Norwegian shipowners are spearheading the development of gas-powered ships and fuel cells as an alternative energy source on board, and continuous efforts are being made to further improve engines, hulls, and propellers with a view to increasing energy efficiency and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
“The Norwegian fleet is one of the most modern in the world. Vessels have become more sophisticated and are now equipped with sensors and data generators, producing and transmitting information from anywhere, in real time,” Solberg said in a statement. (PNA)
