Atlantic shipping slowdown

[Gerard Zwaan]

I have found a number of articles alleging that major ships have ceased transit in the North Atlantic Ocean (for the first time in history according to one article). Would the Zeta's be able to comment on the validity of this and if so, why? [and from another] http://sitsshow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/major-ships-evacuate-atlanti...  A very alarming Ministry of Defense (MoD) report circulating in the Kremlin today states that Federation Naval Forces reported yesterday that the entire Atlantic Ocean has been totally deserted of major freighter ships—an occurrence this report states has never been seen in all of modern recorded history. What I can confirm from the report is that the Baltic Dry Index did hit an all-time low in November of 2015. And stocks did plunge in the first week and a half of 2016. The BDI is the global index that provides an assessment of the price of moving major raw materials by sea and takes in 23 shipping routes measured on a timecharter basis and covers Handysize, Supramax, Panamax, and Capesize dry bulk carriers carrying a range of commodities including coal, iron ore and grain. [and from another]https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/750  Commerce between Europe and North America has literally come to a halt.  For the first time in known history, not one cargo ship is in-transit in the North Atlantic between Europe and North America.  All of them (hundreds) are either anchored offshore or in-port.  NOTHING is moving.[and from another] https://www.dollarvigilante.com/blog/2016/01/11/shipping-said-to-ha...  Last week, I received news from a contact who is friends with one of the biggest billionaire shipping families in the world.  He told me they had no ships at sea right now, because operating them meant running at a loss. This weekend, reports are circulating saying much the same thing: The North Atlantic has little or no cargo ships traveling in its waters. Instead, they are anchored. Unmoving. Empty. Factories aren’t buying and retailers aren’t stocking.  The ratio of inventory to sales in the US is an indicator of this. The last time that ratio was this high was during the “great recession” in 2008.

Recession swings typically include a boom and bust pattern. During a boom jobs become available because manufacturers have allowed their inventory to drop during a bust. Thus flush with wages, the public goes out to purchase items they have been longing for but waiting out of fear of personal bankruptcy. Retailers find their sales going up, and start production again, thus needing new inventory on their raw materials. Everyone is busy, including the shippers providing raw materials and finished goods. 

With all the warnings that the worldwide economy was approaching the inflation that was present in 2008 before the housing bubble burst, it should be no surprise that shipping has slowed to a crawl, the boats in ports rather than in route. But is there more to this? There have been several factors recently that impact the global economy. 

• One is the oil glut price war wherein the Saudi’s are trying to drive the US out of oil independence from the Middle East. Fracking oil production in the US is going bankrupt. But rather than spurring production of goods that require oil during their manufacture, manufacturing is stalled, worldwide.
• A second factor is the rise of banking systems competing with the traditional western banking control of the world. In the past, the US dollar was considered the base currency. Now BRICS is effectively competing with the IMF. But if a lack of loans to support trade might account for a Europe-US slowdown in trade, it would not account for a worldwide slowdown affecting BRICS members too.   
• A third factor might be caution in the face of potential piracy on the high seas, a potential rise of ISIS or other terrorist maneuvers. This was an issue in the past with Somali pirates off the coast of Africa, until a concerted effort by the military from a number of countries put this to rest. But ISIS has made no threats, nor is there any evidence that they are taking to the seas. ISIS is a land based terror organization.

What is not published for the public to read, but what is known by the shipping industry, is that the Earth changes are heating up, and storms at sea have made the profit margin slimmer. The Earth changes are discounted in the media, the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes a frank lie, and the incidence of giant waves on the increase. But it is the rumors that the presence of Nibiru is about to be announced, admitted, and the potential of riots in ports is giving shippers pause. Until the ports are proven secure from rioters fearing starvation and opportunists wanting goods free of charge, this slowdown will continue. 

Source: ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for January 16, 2016