19 May 2022
Singapore

Press Release
Asia, Moving Towards Greener Shipping
Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) held its 31st Annual General Meeting online on
19 May 2022. The meeting was hosted by the Korea Shipowners’ Association (KSA)
and attended by representatives from all ASA member associations.
The focus of the meeting was on many aspects of the challenges faced by the world
shipping industry and the Asian ship owning community in particular.
On behalf of Mr Tae Soon CHUNG, ASA Chairman, who was unable to attend theAGM, Mr Kim Young Moo, Executive Vice Chairman of Korea Shipowners'Association (KSA), said “ASA confirmed that we would be moving towards greenershipping.”
Seafarers are the essential human resources of the shipping industry
ASA said, ‘Seafarers are the essential human resources of the shipping industry.
However, the Covid-19 Pandemic has left seafarers in a vulnerable position.
Seafarers’ welfare and wellbeing are always our at most concern. ASA urges theworld administrations and stakeholders of the shipping industry, to take measures toensure seafarers’ welfare and wellbeing under the MLC 2006, thereby attracting andretaining seafarers to remain in the industry. They are working in the front line of theglobal supply chain.’
IMO Assembly affirms limited liability for shipowners
Just as there would be a massive fall in worldwide GDP, if there were no “limitedcompanies” so, also, there would be far less international shipping (with acommensurate fall in GDP), if shipowners were unable to limit their liability. Thus, arecent landmark achievement by the shipping industry is the formal adoption by theIMO Assembly, in December 2021, of the established IMO principles underpinning“the test for breaking the shipowners’ right to limit liability contained in the 1992
Protocol to the CLC, the LLMC 1976 and the LLMC 1996”. Arcane wording,perhaps, but of huge importance. Industry insiders are familiar with attacks on theprinciple of limited liability for shipowners in Spain and France in connection with the“Prestige” and “Erika” cases. ASA has played a very active role in promoting theprinciples which allow shipowners to limit their liability, and strongly welcomes thisdevelopment at IMO, which is a specialised agency of the United Nations. ASA calls
on Governments and their Courts to refer to the agreed “Unified Interpretation” ofsuch rules when deliberating on the limitation of the shipowners’ liability.
Canal Tolls
ASA expressed its serious concern over the Suez Canal’s toll and surcharge
increases without sufficient prior notices and reasonable explanations, this year.
ASA also noted with serious concern over the new toll system proposals by thePanama Canal Authority, which had presumably been developed under the recent
unprecedented world shipping market conditions, due to its extreme scale of1

increases in the coming three years. Bearing in mind that those two great canals areplaying an indispensable role in underpinning the global supply chain together withthe shipping industry, ASA urges that the voices of canal users and all stakeholders,that reiterated the importance of stability, transparency and predictability of pricing
policies, should be heard. ASA reconfirmed that we would seek direct and closer
dialogues with both canal authorities at the earliest opportunities to enhance ourcommunication and mutual understanding.
The Hong Kong Convention (HKC)
Considering the projected sharp increase in demand for ship recycling after 2023,
because of the accelerated replacement of existing vessels by eco-friendly
alternatives, ASA reaffirmed the need for early entry into force of the HKC as well as
for the urgent expansion of Green Yards in multiple countries. China andBangladesh have been holding the key to the entry into force of the HKC, and ASA
continues motivating both countries to ratify the Convention. To assist Bangladesh’s
intention to ratify the HKC by 2023, ASA reaffirmed that support should be given bygovernments of other countries as well as through encouragement from ASA
members’ usage of HKC SOC (Statements of Compliance) yards and those aiming
to acquire certification. ASA commits its best efforts towards achieving the entry into
force of HKC in recognising that the year 2022 will be a crucial year.
ASA calls for support on the IMO Maritime Research Fund (IMRF)
ASA continues to express its strong support for IMO Maritime Research Fund(IMRF) and IMO Maritime Research & Development Board (IMRB), which will
guarantee funding for the R&D necessary to accelerate the development of zeroemission ships – not only are the IMRB and IMRF the most efficient tools todecarbonise the industry, but they also offer a measure of stability to support forR&D efforts and will be relatively insulated from external shocks that may result inincreased volatility in carbon markets. ASA further welcomes the most recent
proposal to ensure that the IMRB’s Board of Directors is diverse and representativeby expanding membership of the IMRB’s Board of Directors to include
representatives from IMO Member States and to allocate USD50million annually tosupport mitigation efforts in Small Island Developing States and Least DevelopedCountries through the IMO GHG TC Trust Fund.
At the ASA AGM, Mr Xu Lirong, Vice-Chairman of ASA and Chairman of China
Shipowners’ Association (CSA) was appointed as the 32nd ASA Chairman.
Capt. Chang Yen-I, Chairman of National Association of Chinese Shipowners(NACS) was also appointed as the Vice-Chairman of ASA.
The next ASA AGM will be held in China in May 2023**********2

For media enquiries, kindly contact:
Dylan Ow
Technical Manager
Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA)
Tel : (+65) 6325 4737
Email : information@asa.org.sg
Website : www.asianshipowners.org
Editor’s Note:The Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) is a voluntary organization of the shipowner associations of Australia,
China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations
comprising shipping associations of ASEAN countries.
The aims of the ASA are to promote the interests of Asian shipowners.
Between annual ASA meetings, the ongoing work is carried out by five Standing Committees:
Seafarers Committee (SC)Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC)
Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC)
Shipping Policy Committee (SPC)
Ship Recycling Committee (SRC).
It has been estimated that ASA shipowners and managers control and operate around 50% of the world's cargo
carrying fleet.
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