https://www.scmp.com/rss/523702/feed The latest news and top stories on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). A London-based specialised agency of the United Nations, IMO is dedicated to promoting safe, secure and environmentally sound maritime transport. Its main areas of focus include developing and maintaining a comprehensive regulatory framework covering ship safety, pollution prevention and maritime security. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are working closely together to keep vessels moving safely through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday, stressing the three countries’ shared responsibility for keeping the waterways open and secure. “The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are used for international navigation, and therefore the rights of transit passage similarly apply,” said Gan, who is also trade and industry minister, speaking on the opening... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350838/singapore-malaysia-indonesia-unite-secure-safe-passage-crucial-straits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350838/singapore-malaysia-indonesia-unite-secure-safe-passage-crucial-straits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:59:40 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that have seen hundreds of ships blocked and sent energy prices soaring worldwide. “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:51:26 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has denounced proposed tolls in the Strait of Hormuz as a worrisome step in the wrong direction, while noting that several thousand stranded seafarers remain the international shipping community’s foremost concern. “Freedom of navigation has to be one of the pillars of free trade, and it would be a retrograde step – a really bad step,” said John Denholm, chair designate of the ICS, referring to the idea of charging vessels to transit the oil... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350067/hormuz-blockade-shipping-industry-slams-transit-fees-20000-seafarers-still-stranded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350067/hormuz-blockade-shipping-industry-slams-transit-fees-20000-seafarers-still-stranded?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:00:27 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore will not negotiate for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as doing so would undermine fundamental principles of international law, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said. Responding to a parliamentary question on Tuesday by Member of Parliament Fadli Fawzi on whether Singapore would engage Iran or consider paying a toll for its vessels, Balakrishnan stressed that transit through such waterways was a right – not a privilege. “There is a right of transit passage,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349314/singapore-says-no-negotiations-hormuz-safe-passage-transit-right-not-privilege?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349314/singapore-says-no-negotiations-hormuz-safe-passage-transit-right-not-privilege?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:16:36 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Global concerns are rising over the fate of ships and crews trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid the intensifying Middle East conflict, as reports spread that Iran is rolling out screening processes and steep transit fees for vessels using the waterway. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) called for the establishment of a “safe maritime framework” to ensure the swift evacuation of merchant ships confined within the Persian Gulf, after holding a special session on the Middle East... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347337/strait-hormuz-tensions-flare-iran-tightens-grip-over-shipping-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347337/strait-hormuz-tensions-flare-iran-tightens-grip-over-shipping-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:24 +0000 Agencies Agencies Military escorts to protect tankers in the Strait of Hormuz are not a sustainable solution, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). “It reduces the risk, but the risk is still there,” IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez told the Financial Times. He said that a military deployment was “not a long-term or sustainable solution”. US President Donald Trump has called for an international naval operation off the Iranian coast to secure oil shipments, saying at the weekend that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346889/military-escort-tankers-strait-hormuz-not-long-term-fix-imo-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346889/military-escort-tankers-strait-hormuz-not-long-term-fix-imo-head?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:17:41 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Li Yanqing, executive vice-president and secretary general of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (Cansi), discusses the impact of US trade policies, global market cycles and China’s strategic pivot towards high-quality manufacturing. As a shipbuilding veteran who also serves as chairman of the ISO/TC 8 ships and marine technology committee, which oversees international standardisation for shipbuilding and marine operations, Li is a prominent voice for China’s industry on... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/global-economy/article/3345071/us-shipbuilding-revival-looks-dead-water-chinas-li-yanqing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/global-economy/article/3345071/us-shipbuilding-revival-looks-dead-water-chinas-li-yanqing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:15:11 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s ambitions to lead the world in green shipping are picking up steam, with a new agreement with China poised to enhance the city state’s decarbonisation efforts and cement its role as a key hub for alternative fuels. The partnership, signed last month, aims to establish a digital and green shipping corridor between the two countries, and promote maritime decarbonisation, innovation and greater supply chain efficiency. The deal could give Singapore a competitive edge by plugging it... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3332718/how-singapores-bid-green-shipping-leadership-gaining-traction-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3332718/how-singapores-bid-green-shipping-leadership-gaining-traction-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 02:30:12 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang The fallout from the US-China port fee battle is still rippling through the global shipping sector as companies scramble to adapt. Yet, despite the drama, industry players still expect China to retain its edge as a leading shipbuilder – especially if the sector presses ahead with its green transition plans. The United States imposed steep new levies on Chinese-linked vessels entering American ports earlier this month as part of a wider push to curtail China’s dominance of global shipbuilding,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329799/why-chinas-shipyards-still-have-clear-edge-over-rivals-despite-us-port-fee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329799/why-chinas-shipyards-still-have-clear-edge-over-rivals-despite-us-port-fee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:00:32 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Hong Kong has its work cut out for it to become a supply centre for green maritime fuel, as it works with partners in mainland China to build a green methanol supply chain from scratch, according to shipowner China Merchants Energy Shipping. “Hong Kong has already realised liquefied natural gas [LNG] and biodiesel [fuelling] operations, with 130,000 tonnes of throughput so far,” said Wang Yongxin, president of the Shanghai-listed company, in a press briefing on Sunday. “But on green methanol, it... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3327151/methanol-supply-key-hong-kongs-goals-green-marine-fuels-cm-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3327151/methanol-supply-key-hong-kongs-goals-green-marine-fuels-cm-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:30:13 +0000 Emily Hung,Eric Ng Emily Hung,Eric Ng The world’s first methanol dual-fuel-powered car carrier vessel has visited Hong Kong on its maiden voyage to Europe, as the city moves towards becoming a green maritime fuel bunkering centre. Commissioned by a unit of conglomerate China Merchants Group and built in the southeastern province of Jiangsu, the CM Hong Kong docked at Tsing Yi on Sunday flying the city’s flag. At a ceremony to mark the maiden voyage, Hong Kong’s No 2 official, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, said authorities were actively... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3327141/worlds-first-methanol-powered-car-carrier-vessel-sets-sail-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3327141/worlds-first-methanol-powered-car-carrier-vessel-sets-sail-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:40:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil is banking on China to support a landmark UN effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions generated by international shipping as governments prepare for a decisive October vote on the plan. One of the staunchest supporters of the International Maritime Organisation’s proposed Net-Zero Framework, Brasilia is waiting for China to clarify its position on implementation of the plan, Ports and Airports Minister Sílvio Filho told reporters on Wednesday. The situation is setting up a stand-off with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322577/brazil-seeks-chinas-support-salvage-maritime-emissions-pact-opposed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322577/brazil-seeks-chinas-support-salvage-maritime-emissions-pact-opposed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 20:06:00 +0000