Tag: regulatory update

IMO has published changes to The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG Code), incorporating the 2018 edition (feat. Amendment 39-18) which comes into force on 1 January 2020 for two years and may be applied voluntarily as from 1 January 2019.

Recently, there has been an increase in cases where vessels calling at California ports are issued deficiencies by inspectors from the State Lands Commission (SLC) for a failure to submit Ballast Water Management Reports (BWMR) for each port of call, according to an alert by ECM Maritime Services.

Amid the industry's hot debate on how to achieve compliance with the upcoming environmental regulations, and on how these rules are expected to affect companies financially, the world's largest container ship company, Maersk, said that the 2020 sulphur cap will add about USD2 billion to its annual fuel bill. 

Seatrade sentence by a Dutch court in March, on the basis of the EU Waste Shipment Regulation, sends a very clear message that any intentional violation of this regulation will no longer go overlooked, argued Ms. Alexandra Mikelis, Associate Solicitor, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP.

Publishing its financial figures for the first half of the year, Norwegian dry bulk shipping company Jinhui announced that it is sees as more beneficial the option of low sulphur fuel oil instead of scrubbers, in order to achieve compliance with the global environmental regulations coming into force from 2020. 

OSHA's Respirable Crystalline Silica standard for general industry and maritime requires employers to limit worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica and to take other steps to protect workers.

Port of Los Angeles has seen an unprecedented 60% drop in NOx emissions compared to 2005, their lowest level to date, according to the Port’s 2017 Inventory of Air Emissions released last week. The inventory also shows the Port container volume reached an all-time high of 9.34 million TEUs through 2017.

Although it is hard to predict what next years will bring for shipping, discussions at this year’s IMO’s MEPC brought in the spotlight a unified effort towards a more sustainable industry. IMO MEPC 72, which took place during the first week of April 2018, agreed on a target to cut shipping’s overall CO2 by adopting an ‘initial strategy’ as a first step. 

In April 2018, IMO MEPC 72 adopted amendments to the IBC Code and BCH Code due to enter into force on January 1st of 2020. Namely, the amendments concern the International Certificate of Fitness and the Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk.

After a thorough investigation and show cause process, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has cancelled the livestock export licence of Emanuel Exports. This comes after 2,400 sheep died from heat stress onboard the livestock carrier 'Awassi Express' in August 2017.