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ISSA and Ship

Supply News

Market ‘still difficult’ for

German ship suppliers

T
he German Shipsuppliers Association held its AGM Mr Engellandt said activities in catering, management
in Hamburg in April with 33 representatives from 27 and ship supply would remain under signiicant pressure with

companies in attendance.rising costs and simultaneous high demand of quality and
The Board and Secretary were unanimously relieved and the service from the customer. For 2016, further growth in the

nine Board Members, elected in 2014, will stay in until 2017.cruise market and a dificult situation in the shipbuilding and
Chairman Frank Engellandt led the meeting and said that merchant shipping market are expected.

looking back on 2015, the German Association’s work would The duty free trade in 2015 was negatively impacted by
have been very successful. At European level, ship suppliers were currency movements and Mr Engellandt said the development

successfully represented in customs and tax matters by OCEAN.of the ruble would have led to the collapse of the travel
On the German market situation in ship supply last year, activities of the Russians. By contrast, the weak Euro would

Mr Engellandt stated in his report that the messages from the have led to a recovery of business in ‘Euro land’ and increases
annual internal Association survey were “still dificult”.were achieved in several market areas.

The movement of shipmanagement to Asia and its Secretary Thorsten Harms gave a presentation

outsourcing from ship owner to shipmanagement companies about customs and tax matters and, for the absent ISSA
was reported along with increasing prices of raw materials, representative Ralf-Thomas Rapp, about ISSA. The Vice

high pressure on margin and a weak Euro which wouldChairman and OCEAN representative, Wolfgang Sump,
have had a negative inluence. Ongoing maritime crises and reported about the activities of OCEAN and veterinary affairs.

overcapacities of freight transport space have also had a This year’s keynote speaker was Achim Wehrmann, Head
negative impact.of Unit, Waterways and Shipping at the Federal Ministry

Mr Engellandt said, as a consequence of omissions in of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, who informed the
conservation, expansion and modernisation of water and land audience in his speech about the national shipping and harbour

infrastructure, liner operations often pass German ports.policy until the end of the current legislative period. u
He also said ship insolvencies would have led to debt

losses and, likewise, the Russia embargo, the slowdown of Pictured in the photo, left to right, are: Frank Engellandt, Chairman
(HMS Hanseatic Marine Service); Thorsten Harms, Secretary; Gunnar
the economy in China and terror and war in the eastern Heinemann (Gebr. Heinemann SE & Co); Achim Wehrmann (Federal
Mediterranean would have been further negative factors.
Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure);
These conditions and rising costs have meant a Nadine Kloska (Kloska Group); Wolfgang Sump, Vice-Chairman and
deterioration of earnings by up to 5%, however, compared to OCEAN representative (Sump & Stammer); Jens Pfeiffer (Transas

2014, sales in marine equipment have increased.Marine); Lennart Clasen (Holger Clasen).

36 | The Ship Supplier | Issue 69 2016