The International Chamber of Shipping is warning the global shipping community the lack of access to vaccines for seafarers will place the industry in a ‘legal minefield’ and leave global supply chains vulnerable, according to a legal document seen by CNBC which is expected to be published later this week.
In the document, ICS warns vaccinations could soon become a compulsory requirement for work at sea as countries begin to insist all crew members be vaccinated as a pre-condition of entering their ports.
In March, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Hong Kong released a mandate that crew changes can only happen with those members that have had a Chinese Covid vaccine.
China is one of the popular crew-changing countries in the world. Without a vaccine, seafarers cannot leave the vessel and no crew change can happen. March is a key month for crew changes.
To view the full article by CNBC, please click here.