Recently, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued the Decision on Revising the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on International Ocean Shipping, demonstrating the China’s firm stance on safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of China’s shipping industry and upholding its commitment to fair international competition. On behalf of all its member entities, the China Shipowners’ Association expresses full approval and firm support for this decision.
As a crucial bridge and link in global trade, international maritime transportation plays an irreplaceable role in boosting economic and trade exchanges among countries and safeguarding the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. Chinese shipowners have consistently abided by international shipping rules and market principles, upheld the values of open cooperation and fair competition, proactively integrated into and deeply engaged in the development of the international shipping market. They provide stable, high-efficiency, and high-quality logistics services for global trade, making significant contributions to the prosperity and development of the world economy and trade.
China has always adhered to the principles of friendly cooperation and mutual benefit to promote the development of maritime relations with countries around the world. In 2001, China promulgated the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on International Ocean Shipping, translating its international maritime commitments under the WTO into domestic law. Since then, the international maritime transportation industry has become one of the earliest and most open sectors in China’s opening-up drive. Over 20 years since its accession to the WTO, China has firmly fulfilled its WTO maritime commitments. Through the construction of free trade zones, China has taken the initiative to expand the breadth and depth of opening-up in the international maritime transportation industry, attracting enterprises from various countries to invest and conduct international maritime transportation business in China, and ensuring that they enjoy fair and just treatment. Benefiting from China’s opening-up policies and fair competition environment, major international shipping enterprises have all established institutions and launched shipping routes in China. China’s maritime shipping routes and service networks now cover major countries and regions worldwide, making it the country with the largest volume of seaborne cargo transportation globally. This has effectively promoted the development of the world’s maritime transportation industry and supported global trade and economic growth.
Currently, a certain country has abused the “Section 301 Investigation” in the maritime sector and introduced discriminatory, restrictive measures—including imposing port fees on Chinese enterprises. All Chinese shipowners firmly oppose such practices, and in spite of challenges, will not only safeguard their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law, but also continue to ensure the stability of international maritime logistics and supply chains while maintaining the normal order of international economic and trade activities.
The Decision on Revising the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on International Ocean Shipping further enriches and refines the provisions on countermeasures in Article 46 of the Regulations. Its purpose is to vigorously safeguard China’s maritime transportation rights and interests and ensure a fair competitive environment for the international maritime transportation industry through legal means. In response to any discriminatory restrictive measures imposed by any other countries on Chinese shipping enterprises, vessels, or seafarers, China is entitled to take necessary countermeasures in accordance with the law. This is of great significance for promoting the establishment of a fair and equal international maritime transportation governance system, facilitating the smooth flow of global trade, and safeguarding the security and resilience of industrial and supply chains.
The China Shipowners’ Association will continue to actively play its role as a bridge and platform for the maritime industry, deepen international cooperation and exchanges, facilitate the high-quality and healthy development of the industry, and contribute to the building of an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial global shipping system.