Amazon’s Jeff Bezos called upon to save thousands of stranded seafarers

Shipping industry associations called on Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos to support some 400,000 seafarers stuck on merchant vessels because of restrictions at ports to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Industry bodies including the International Chamber of Shipping wrote an open letter urging Bezos to exert pressure on the incoming Biden administration and other leaders to recognise seafarers as key workers, according to a joint statement on Thursday.

“The strength of Amazon’s (and others’) supply chain is central to the success of red-letter retail days like Black Friday,” said the letter, which was signed by the chairs of the industry groups. “Without these seafarers, global trade as we know it would simply cease to exist.”