世界の貨物船が殆ど止まろうとしている
前代未聞の動きが続いている。
またホルムズ海峡の前では数百船が止まっている。金融と信頼の危機により、
現物の貨物の運びが動かなくなっている。アメリカの信用下落でアメリカに現物商品を送っても、払ってもらえないという不安があるのも大きい。また石油が余っているので、石油を積んだ船が海で待機をしている。世界の貿易の血管が動かなくなると、これから金融危機が抽象的なものより現実的なものになる。アメリカの店の多くが旧ソ連みたく商品が揃わない状態になる可能性もある。
食糧の60%を海外
Is world shipping grinding to a halt?
Something extremely unusual is happening in the global shipping market. The Baltic Dry Index, which tracks the price of shipping commodities, has fallen by 93% since its peak this summer.
There are also reports of hundreds of ships standing idle outside the Straits of Hormuz. They have been filled with oil but no buyers are available. Shippers are also reluctant to send freight to the United States because they do not believe they will be paid for their goods. US stores may soon begin to look like Soviet stores did with bare shelves and few goods for sale.
Clearly some kind of brinkmanship is taking place as part of negotiations over a new financial system. The Chinese are self-sufficient in food but the Japanese rely on imports for 60% of their diet. The Japanese would not starve if imports stopped but would only be able to eat animal protein three days a week.