SMM conference report: the future of shipping is how it deals with labour

IPhoto: © Denys Yelmanov | Dreamstime.com

The great and the good of the shipping industry recently congregated in Hamburg for the bi-annual SMM exhibition, and The Loadstar understands freight forwarders need not be concerned with how shipping is working, so long as it does.

But given its lamentable recent track record in that respect, we took the temperature at maritime’s biggest trade show.

The inaugural panel opened with recorded messages from the German federal government to say that shipyard Meyer Werft would be bailed out, lending an uncharacteristically ...