SHIPPING is picking up across the board after the 2008/09 crisis. This was the general sentiment at the recent Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents (FONASBA) annual meeting in Varna, Bulgaria.
“The international maritime transport sector is overcoming the crisis,” outgoing FONASBA president Tonny Dalhøj Paulsen said. “We see clear signs confirming that the shipping industry is overcoming the unpleasant consequences of the recession”.
Delegate discussions, however, also made it clear that the last two years have tightened consolidation trends in both ship broking and ship agency and in particular continued the downward pressure on agency fees.
Taking Paulsen’s place as FONASBA president is Christakis P. Papavassiliou, past chairman and member of the board of FONASBA’s Cyprus member, the Cyprus Shipping Association. Papavassiliou, who heads the Limassol-based liner and tramp shipping agency Shoham (Cyprus) Ltd as managing director, has previously held various other positions in FONASBA. In addition he is a member of the Cypriot maritime community, among others as a former member of the board of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber and member of the Executive Committee of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He will serve as president for two years until October 2012.
At the meeting attended by ship broking and ship agency professionals from some 30 countries, two new associations — representing Indonesia and Turkey — were also elected as FONASBA members, increasing the total number of countries in membership to 46. FONASBA is establishing a new Far East, Oceania and Australia regional range committee expected to be fully operational by the time the organization holds its next annual meeting in Sydney in October 2011.
FONASBA was established in 1969 to represent and promote the interests of ship brokers and agents world, to promote fair and equitable practices in these professions and to cooperate with other maritime bodies. Membership is open to national associations and similar organizations of ship brokers and agents.
