“Turkey is the only open channel for Italy – Russia trade by sea”

Towards the port of Novorossiysk, on the Black Sea, only the shipping companies Arkas and Akkon are active

The role of mediator with Russia that Erdogan’s Turkey is trying to give itself in the conflict in Ukraine has its parallelism in maritime trade. The reflection comes from Alice Arduini, owner of the Alix International shipping company (with studies in international relations), who in recent weeks has been confronted with requests for quotations for shipments for the attacking country.

Despite the situation, the rates, however, although increased, did not explode: “If before – or before the outbreak of the war – the request was 500 euros / Teu, up to 800 or 1,000 in peak season periods, now we are about 2,000 euros / Teu ”reports Arduini.

There are many additional requirements: in addition of course to indicating that the cargo does not belong to the macro-categories subject to sanction, the shippers are asked to fill in a letter of indemnity, “on behalf of the shipper” in which the importer and the exporter, who exempts the shipping company from liability.

Complications that according to the owner of Alix International make it difficult for the shipper, even in the absence of ethical-political doubts, to accept assignments of this type, which also promise to be economically promising.

In general, the war is obviously posing new challenges to the category of trafficking that touches the countries involved, without however suffocating them completely. “It is not true, for example, that rail transport from China to Europe is impossible, although it is true that as a result of policy many companies ask for trains that do not pass through Russian territory. So it is from the importers that the stop comes “.

On the other hand, the other feeling is that exchanges with the United States are very flourishing at the moment, where “freight rates now travel around 10 thousand dollars and equipment is starting to run low” but also with China, a market towards which it is also targeting the export of Italian luxury.

Source: Shipping Italy