Alexander Alexandrov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Ship Suppliers Association, BSSA, reflects on a turbulent year for ship supply at the Black Sea Ports.

People often wonder how I learned all this "customs stuff" about ship supplies. This year, 2022, represents my 40th year working in ship supply, supporting and strengthening the Dutch and European Maritime Sector, making it more competitive and fascinating, every day, step by step, supply by supply. I became Chair of the OCEAN Working Group on Customs in the early 2000s and served in that capacity for more than a decade, during which time I collaborated with some of the industry's most seasoned authorities. In my day-to-day work, I troubleshoot problems for customers and resolve intricate customs obstacles to get our wares onto a ship on schedule. Here is my story in ship supply.

The capacity to provide ships with tobacco products and alcoholic drinks is crucial for contemporary shipping and satisfies the needs of seafarers, captains and shipowners who operate in challenging circumstances. According to Eugenio Mediavilla, the General Secretary of the Asociación Espaola de Suministradores Martimos, governments should collaborate with ship suppliers to guarantee that ship crew needs and requirements can be satisfied efficiently.

"The Baltic Sea is a very significant location for ship supply. The head of the Finnish Ship Suppliers Association, Juhani Suokari, said, "We have so many ports and so many ships constantly arriving and going" (FSSA). We have worked in this industry for decades, and we are continually expanding. Juhani Suokari has been a prominent member of the Finnish Ship Suppliers Association for many years. He is the ideal individual to discuss ship supply in the Baltics. He serves on the OCEAN Board as the representative for the FSSA.

With over 100 ports along the North Sea coastline, vessels calling any one of these ports can access a wide range of services for international shipping business, including ship supply services. From supplying foods to technical spare parts and anything in between, vessels calling the ports in the North Sea cannot do without a ship chandler. In this article, we explore why ship supply remains essential for the maritime industry in Northern Europe.

Remco De Bruijn serves as the Tax Director for B&S International BV. As a VAT specialist, he is also the head of the OCEAN VAT subgroup. With over two decades of experience in indirect taxes for one of Europe's major IT companies in the consumer goods industry, he responds to challenging questions from the OCEAN Secretariat about the role of VAT in European ship supply.