Infospectrum Insights

Hong Kong’s weary citizens went to the polls this weekend after enduring months of civil unrest and tension. And voting patterns, which indicate support for further political reforms and concessions, tend to suggest that head-on confrontations with Chinese authorities will continue. The island state’s troubled experience this year has made it the main focus of attention for trading and shipping companies anxious about rising sovereign risks. But, it is by no means alone.

This month we were in conversation with Crystal Chan, Senior Analyst at Infospectrum’s Singapore office. She shared what it’s like working in shipping along with how the industry has evolved since her career began. Read on to learn more.

We've spent a long time talking about liquidity demands in the bunker sector. The challenges faced by ship operators, which we've discussed in earlier blogs are not dissimilar. The failure of a number of small and large-scale ship operators in 2019 has shone a light on how reliant ship operators are on access to funding. 

Last month’s drone strike on Saudi Arabian oil production facilities demonstrated once again how global oil supply can be vulnerable to political risks.

This month we were in conversation with Efthymios Yfantis, Senior Analyst at Infospectrum’s London office, who shared what it’s like to work in shipping along with his industry predictions for the year ahead.

Having sharpened its game against a number of small targets dealing with Syria, North Korea and Venezuela, the United States Government pulled out the big guns last week, with the implementation of sanctions against a member of one of the world's largest shipping companies.

IMO 2020 seems to be providing oil majors and refiners with huge opportunity to return to being a force in retail bunkering. Let's hope they are up for it.

On 9th September 2019, Infospectrum welcomed over 100 guests to its London Counterparty Risk Forum at 30 Euston Square, providing attendees with unique shipping industry insights and the latest trends shaping the sector. 

The UK’s seemingly endless deliberation over how to leave the EU could be nearing its conclusion. Among the permutations is the “no-deal” scenario whereby the UK would leave and revert to trading with external partners under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. It’s a daunting prospect for everyone, and oil traders and credit professionals are no exception.

Yes, we know, yet another article/thought piece/white paper about IMO 2020. And probably somewhere in your mind you are thinking ‘will I get this time back again?’