Freight crisis raises fears of empty shelves

With the shipping industry unable to deliver goods quickly, retailers may struggle to keep their shelves stocked in the weeks before Christmas as consumer spending becomes difficult to predict

• Clothing chains suffer season in the sun
• Warning shot fired at Alworths

Asian shipping lines suffer further losses

Neptune Orient Lines and China Cosco have announced major losses for the June-September quarter in a further sign of the unprecedented severity of the economic crisis battering the industry

Braemar maintains optimism in rough waters

The shipbroking and shipping services group has reported a £7.02m pre-tax profits for the six months to August 31 amid one of the most severe downturns in its history

Bail-out request highlights shipping crisis

Fresh evidence has emerged of the extent of the crisis facing Germany’s container ship owners after Peter Döhle Schiffahrts sought state aid to overcome the downturn

Ship valuation method sparks inflation fears

Concerns have been raised about whether big shipping banks will start inflating the value of billions of euros of their assets after two endorsed a new valuation method producing ship values well above market rates

Standard change risks rocking the boat

The dispute about efforts by some German shipbrokers and banks to introduce a new method of ship valuation revolves around how to value a vessel such as the Santa Giulietta

Singapore sees surge in rich Russian interest

Wealthy Russian business people are depositing significant sums of money into the island state’s booming private banking sector, with Russian money also flowing into the stock market through investments in property and luxury services companies

Zim Israel debt meeting delayed

The future of Israel’s largest container shipping line remains uncertain after a meeting to approve restructuring of $6.85bn in debt and other obligations was held up for a second time