On Tuesday, October 25, during Danish Maritime Days, the Danish Shipowners’ Association will host a seminar focused on free trade and global shipping. The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kristian Jensen will lead the discussion on how we can ensure – and further strengthen – free trade of goods and services.
During the Danish Maritime Days, to be held October 24-28, heads of the global maritime industry and key decision makers will meet to discuss today’s important shipping policy issues including increasing global protectionism, a significant threat to growth of the international shipping market.
Free trade is a priority for the Danish Shipowners’ Association. Despite being threatened by anti-free trade and anti-globalization activists, it is essential to our growth and prosperity. As well as being used in the current US election, this anti-free trade rhetoric is present in our own European backyard, where support for the EU’s work on Free Trade Agreements is declining.
Kristian Jensen, Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs is keynote speaker at the seminar hosted by the Danish Shipowners’ Association. He is looking forward to discussing free trade when global shipping stakeholders visit Denmark.
“Denmark is a small open economy and benefits from free trade; Danish shipping is a good example. I therefore look forward to putting free trade on the agenda when the Danish Maritime Days set the stage for the global debate within shipping at the end of October,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kristian Jensen.
“Although it is important to recognise the positive impact of free trade, we must also acknowledge that parts of the population do not view the benefits in the same way. Ignoring this could potentially lead to a worst case scenario of the introduction of protectionist measures in an attempt to protect national interests,” says the Danish Shipowners’ Association.
Danish shipping transports goods across the entire globe and as a result will be among the first industries to become aware of the effects of declining world trade:
“There is no doubt that trade barriers make the world poorer. This applies particularly to Denmark. It’s important for us to take the lead to emphasise the value that free trade generates, and to engage with free trade opponents. We look forward to discussing free trade challenges at the seminar, positioning Denmark as a leader, and sounding the warning bell for this very important issue,” says Jakob Ullegård, Executive Director of the Danish Shipowners’ Association.
In addition to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Admiral Mameesh (Suez Canal Authority), Søren Toft (COO, Maersk Line), and Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen, General Secretary of DanChurchAid will speak at the seminar, at which there will also be a panel discussion.
