As this complicated year comes to an end, I would like to wish all Baltic Exchange members and their families warmest ‘season's greetings’ with optimism and positive prospects for a happier New Year.
 

Baltic Exchange members are at the forefront of so many of the world’s shipping contracts and have played their part in this most difficult of times. The Baltic Exchange is proud to contribute so significantly to global freight management.
 

In a world of contradiction and confusion, shipping faces constant challenges, but it continues to keep essential cargoes moving.
 

This year, just as those before, we have performed for the world.
 

Global warming and the environment have become headline news, with shipping emissions a focus for the world’s governments. I remain optimistic that with government support, human ingenuity and industry partnerships will quickly lead to reduced emissions in shipping. Yet despite the crucial importance of commercial shipping, confused authorities continue to look away from assisting our seafarers during the pandemic. As I write this, there are still many thousands of skilled seafarers still aboard vessels, blocked from disembarkation to travel home for well over a year. Next year I hope countries will take much more responsibility for facilitating crucial crew changes as shipowners and operators endeavour to deliver cargoes safely to those destinations. 
 

2020 has been a tough year for anyone looking to start a career. Technology has successfully produced remote communication solutions, offering some prospect for apprentices looking to enter the world of shipping, but current circumstances means there is little training with hands on work. Anyone entering our international business today may well be confused, but shipping navigates its way through its share of contradictions and manages these challenges in real time, delivering the world’s goods on time.
 

I certainly look forward to meeting as many of you as I am able to during next year, trainees, apprentices, young and old hands alike, always happy to learn of challenges and share ideas of potential solutions.

Best wishes, Denis Petropoulos, Chairman