Berlin keeps pressure on owners

摘要

Government auditors continue to breathe down the neck of German shipowners as they try to juggle cost-cutting plans and a commitment to their national flag.rnThe number of vessels deployed in international trades and under the German flag has been under close scrutiny in the run-up to next week's national maritime conference in the port of Rostock. Owners had reflagged 530 ships as of 23 March, safely exceeding the 500 they promised by now, but they may face renewed calls for a further hike in German-flagged tonnage at next week's top level meeting.