World News
Have Your Say: Is it OK to Use WhatsApp in Bunker Deals?
The use of messaging services to arrange bunkering deals has been commonplace since the early 2000's.
Until the mid-2010's Yahoo Messenger was the app of choice, but following its shutdown in 2016 WhatsApp has now taken over as the industry's messenger of choice.
The appeal is obvious - it's the messaging app your counterparty is most likely to already use.
In more recent times, as transparency and compliance play a growing role in shaping day-to-day operations, the bunker industry is starting to divide in its attitudes on the use of the WhatsApp messaging service to conclude its deals.
The key issue is that on WhatsApp, unlike other some other messaging services, messages can be edited or deleted after they have been delivered and seen by the recipient.
This grants the opportunity for the unscrupulous to go back on deals after they have been agreed, removing the evidence and claiming they never happened.
Still, others believe the risks of using WhatsApp are limited providing other procedures are put in place.
Over recent weeks Ship & Bunker has been talking to market participants and heard varying attitudes over the use of WhatsApp, and are now looking to get the opinions of our wider readership.
Ship & Bunker is currently conducting a poll on the subject on LinkedIn to see the range of views across our publication's readership.
To have your say and participate in the poll please click here.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 571.00 | 1.50 | 685.50 | 5.50 |
| Rotterdam | 516.50 | 1.50 | 677.50 | 3.50 |
| Houston | 556.00 | 6.00 | 679.00 | 1.00 |
| Fujairah | 565.00 | 4.50 | 755.00 | 1.50 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 589.00 | 3.00 | 764.50 | 3.50 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 552.00 | 3.00 | 699.00 | 2.50 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 635.50 | 1.00 | 811.50 | 11.00 |
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