Your Excellency Secretary-General Guterres, The maritime industry, represented by the organisations behind this letter, are grateful for the recognition that the UN Security Council and you personally have placed on the shipping industry and the importance of the free movement as set out in international law. We also thank and applaud IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez for all the hard work raising the profile of shipping and our seafarers.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) today filed a petition for review with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit seeking to have the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) correct an internal contradiction in its new rule on detention and demurrage. 

Brussels, April 18, 2024 — The World Shipping Council (WSC) is calling on the EU to design policy frameworks that facilitate the essential role of shipping in a globally connected economy and to forge the path to net-zero shipping by 2050 in partnership with industry.

Washington/Brussels/London/Singapore, April 17, 2024 — The World Shipping Council (WSC), the united voice of liner shipping, is happy to announce that the WSC Board has appointed Joe Kramek as its new President & CEO, to succeed John Butler upon his retirement at the end of July. Joe Kramek brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role, from both the maritime sector and government service.

Every year, 250 million containers are transported across the world with food, clothes, electronics and other goods we all need. While crucial for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain, containers and their cargoes can also harbour and transfer contaminating pests. All parties in the supply chain have a shared responsibility for stopping the spread of pests by keeping cargo and containers clean, and the Prevention of Pest Contamination of Containers: Joint Industry Guidelines for the Cleaning of Containers provide easy-to-use best practices to help everyone do their part. For this update, we are also happy to welcome ICHCA as a new partner together with BIC, COA, IICL and WSC.

Over the past two weeks, IMO member states and organisations have collaborated to align and organise the work towards mid-term measures to decarbonise the shipping industry. MEPC 81 was an important opportunity for all parties to review and discuss the many proposals on the table. The MEPC has agreed on a framework for the mid-term measures including a fuel standard and an economic measure, as well as set up the necessary expert groups, laying the foundation for an agreement that will deliver on the target of net-zero by 2050.

Wildlife crime continues to pose a significant threat to biodiversity, local and national economies, as well as national and international security. The illicit trafficking of wildlife not only endangers countless species but also undermines the stability of ecosystems and jeopardizes the livelihoods of communities worldwide. Recognising the severity of this issue, ten leading organisations have joined forces to combat illegal wildlife trafficking through increasing awareness and vigilance across global supply chains.

Washington/Brussels/London/Singapore, 13 March 2024 – Despite mandatory international and national regulations on the transport of dangerous goods, these goods continue to be mis-declared or not declared, driving an alarming increase in ship fires. Addressing the need for improved safety measures, the World Shipping Council (WSC) is developing the Cargo Safety Program and is today pleased to announce that the National Cargo Bureau (NCB) has been selected as the independent provider for the Cargo Safety Program digital platform.

Today, the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee (IMCO) adopted its report on the reform of the Union Customs Code (UCC). This core economic legislation determines the efficiency, resilience and competitiveness of the EU’s external border for trade. More than ever getting that right is vital for the EU’s businesses and citizens. Ninety percent of the EU’s external trade relies on shipping, making it vital that the UCC is well adapted to this strategic sector. The UCC needs to facilitate maritime transport, including by enabling efficient goods storage in ports, thus enabling the seamless connection of maritime transport to hinterland logistics chains.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) today expressed gratitude to EUNAVFOR on the launch of Operation ASPIDES, a defensive maritime security operation to  safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea  - and adjacent international waters.

Today - Monday 19th February 2024 – marks the three-month anniversary since the Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader and its 25 seafarers in the Red Sea. The vessel, a roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier, was seized on 19 November. The maritime industry has joined together from around the world to express their concern for the seafarers who have been held hostage, and call on the Houthis to release the crew of the Galaxy Leader.

Washington/Brussels/London/Singapore, 15 February 2024 – The global shipping regulator, the UN International Maritime Organisation, has set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for the industry, and now needs to develop climate regulations by 2025 that make it possible to reach that target. A core challenge is how to craft a global greenhouse gas pricing regulation that can bridge the price gap between the cleanest fuels and fossil fuels, driving investments in green fuels, without imposing an outsized cost on the global economy. As member nations prepare for negotiations at the IMO MEPC 81 in March, the World Shipping Council is bringing to the table a proposal on greenhouse gas pricing that can help solve this conundrum.

The European Commission's recommendation for the EU's 2040 climate targets, calling for a 90% net GHG emission reductions, are ambitious and critically important, especially following updates suggesting that EU 2030 goals may be not be met.

The EU goals recognize the need to incentivize the production of green maritime fuels and to prioritize green fuels access for the maritime sector.

Liner shipping has begun the transformative journey towards decarbonisation, and we look forward to contributing to the EU translation of goals into action.

The World Shipping Council, the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO today expressed their thanks to the 12 nations that have jointly condemned the ongoing illegal attacks on ships in the Red Sea and unlawful detention of vessels and crews there.

The World Shipping Council today expressed its thanks to the member nations of the Operation Prosperity Guardian coalition formed to address the maritime security crisis in the Red Sea region.

The mission of this task force is critical to protecting seafarers and to defending the foundational principle of freedom of navigation. We are grateful that these nations have come together to protect seafarers and the vessels on which they serve, and we hope that the coalition will succeed in creating the necessary conditions for safe passage through the Red Sea.

The World Shipping Council is deeply alarmed and concerned about the escalating security crisis unfolding in the Red Sea region. The disturbing surge of attacks on vessels poses an imminent threat to the safety and lives of the seafarers navigating these waters.

The right of freedom of navigation stands as a fundamental right under international law, and must be safeguarded. The World Shipping Council urgently calls upon the global community to take decisive action to protect seafarers and freedom of navigation.

The time for resolute international engagement is now.

Washington/Brussels/London/Singapore, 7 December 2023 – To deliver on the goal of net zero emissions for shipping by 2050, IMO greenhouse gas regulations must rest on solid foundations. Liner shipping is committed to decarbonising quickly and efficiently, and to support this process the World Shipping Council (WSC) has today published its first contribution to negotiations at IMO MEPC 81, with a paper outlining four cornerstones critical to an effective IMO GHG agreement.

9th November, 2023 - The seven industry bodies dedicated to container safety, collaborating as the Cargo Integrity Group, highlight an independent study carried out by researchers at Italian University Politecnico di Torino into shipper and forwarder application of the CTU Code.  The 2023 survey yielded encouraging signs of adoption and highlighted several convincing arguments – including financial benefits for its use.  

Accidental collisions between ships and whales are a global concern, and can occur wherever there is an overlap between whale activity and vessel traffic. To help seafarers plan their voyages to minimize the risk of collisions, the World Shipping Council (WSC) is today launching the WSC Whale Chart. This navigational aid is the first global mapping of all mandatory and voluntary governmental measures to reduce harm to whales from ships. The WSC Whale Chart is available for free to all interested parties and will be regularly updated.

Brussels, 10 October 2023 – Following the publication today of its CBER Staff Working Document, the European Commission’s DG COMP has announced that it will let the sector-specific Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) lapse, and that liner shipping vessel sharing agreements will be regulated under the general EU antitrust rules based on the Horizontal Block Exemption Regulation and Specialisation Block Exemption Regulation. Vessel sharing is an operational measure allowing ocean carriers to use ships more efficiently whilst continuing to compete on price and other commercial terms.