The Liberian flag has been included in the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) roster for 2019-2020. QS21 recognizes vessels and flag states which have successfully met specified safety and quality requirements and regulations when calling at ports in the United States.

Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian Registry, notes, “We are very pleased to have made the QS21 roster. It is recognition for the many years of work that we, our clients, ship managers, and masters and crew have put into safety training and meeting environmental standards. We have a great team of dedicated staff - good people with at-sea experience - who are working closely with vessels on compliance as they come into the US.”
To qualify for QS21, flag administrations must have a three-year Port State Control (PSC) detention ratio of less than 1.00% and be credited with 10+ PSC exams per year for the last three years. QS21 status brings advantages to vessels visiting the US. Liberia and 8 other maritime nations were all new additions to the QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) & E-ZERO list this year.

Alfonso Castillero says, “The number of new additions to QS21 in 2019-2020 is fantastic recognition of the work that maritime administrations, owners, and crew have put into safety initiatives. It is also testament to the efforts of the US Coast Guard, who are often overlooked when it comes to handing out praise.  “Inclusion in QUALSHIP 21 is a great achievement for any flag, and the wider industry should celebrate the number of states making the USCG’s grade.”

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services announced today that it has signed on as a member of TradeLens, a blockchain-enabled digital shipping solution jointly developed by A.P. Moller - Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) and IBM (NYSE: IBM).
TradeLens uses blockchain technology to enable trust between multiple trading partners – from carriers to freight forwarders, customs officials, port authorities and more -- when transacting in a digitized global trade documentation process. TradeLens ecosystem members get a single shared view of a transaction without compromising details, privacy or confidentiality and can collaborate more efficiently and with greater certainty through real-time access to shipping data and shipping documents.
As a leading carrier in the global container shipping industry, ZIM has a corporate vision to promote technological innovation in all aspects of its operations. By joining TradeLens, ZIM can continue its push toward digitizing its processes to enable efficiencies and cost savings to the company and the customers by enabling greater transparency and more efficient processes.
Eyal Ben Amram, ZIM CIO: “We are very pleased to join TradeLens, as part of our vision to be at the forefront of digital innovation in shipping. ZIM endorses a proactive approach of promoting and investing in innovative digital solutions, such as the pioneering blockchain-based electronic Bill of Lading initiative, in collaboration with Wave Inc, and the recent investment in Ladingo, a ground-breaking e-commerce solution”.
“ZIM will bring a strong ethos of digital innovation to the TradeLens ecosystem and we're thrilled to welcome their team. TradeLens has made great progress in bringing transformation to traditional shipping processes through technology that enables greater transparency and efficiency,” said Mike White, TradeLens leader for Maersk. “What makes the solution so effective is its ability to deliver these benefits while still allowing carriers like ZIM and others to maintain their competitive advantages. The more carriers and other ecosystem members that join the platform, the closer we come to bringing about a new era in global trade.”

Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation ("Navios Acquisition") (NYSE: NNA), an owner and operator of tanker vessels, announced today that is has sold the oldest vessel of its fleet, the C. Dream, a 2000-bult VLCC for $21.75 million.

Seafarers employed on Tsakos-owned vessels operated under its management arrangement with Columbia Shipmanagement will now be paid electronically as opposed to by ‘Cash-by-Master’, under an agreement signed with global maritime payments provider ShipMoney.

Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell to an unaffiliated third party, the 2004-built vessel “Erato”, with delivery to the buyer latest by June 10, 2019, for a sale price of US$7.0 million before commissions.

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. (Yang Ming) and Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (Shoei Kisen) signed charter agreements for four 11,000 TEU containerships yesterday(10th April, 2019) in Hong Kong.