CHINA: An Introduction to Shipping: Eastern China (PRC Firms)
Global Trends
Electronic transport records
In the traditional shipping industry, digital transformation is advancing irreversibly. The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) is promoting the “25 by 25 Pledge”, which aims to achieve the use of electronic transport records in 25% of annual trade by 2025. Nine major liner companies, including MSC, ONE, HMM and MAERSK, have pledged to use 100% electronic transport records by 2030. COSCO is actively promoting the construction of electronic transport record systems. Furthermore, major shipping companies are constantly exploring how to improve operational efficiency through technologies such as cloud computing, big data and AI.
The EU Emissions Trading System
According to the revised Directive 2003/87/EC, from 01 January 2024, all commercial vessels of 5,000 gross tonnage and above calling at ports in EU member states will fall under the scope of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), and the scope of application will be expanded in an orderly manner. To this end, shipping companies must monitor and report the emissions of methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide from their ships. This move increases the operational difficulty and cost for shipping companies, and at the same time profoundly affects the burden of rights and obligations of all parties under time charters and voyage charters. BIMCO has also published relevant available clauses on its official website.
International conflict
Due to the uncertainties of international geopolitics such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the stability and efficiency of the shipping industry and the global supply chain system are still greatly impacted. In 2024, due to the Red Sea shipping crisis, some ships were unable to use the traditional Suez Canal route and had to detour around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing shipping time and operating costs. In response to these events, shipping companies need to review their safety strategies and pay more attention to ship safety and human resource management.
Key Shipping Developments in China
In addition to the key changes mentioned above, we also noted some other changing trends, which, due to space limitations, are only briefly described. With the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative and the continuous deepening of reform and opening up in China, investors in China have more confidence and greater ability to “go global”. Supply chains are being established in South-East Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and other regions, having a profound impact on international trade, shipping and marine insurance. At the same time, the shipbuilding, marine engineering, and offshore new energy sectors are also developing strongly, through both technological advances and policy evolution.
Shipping insurance modernisation
The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernisation “raise the underwriting capacity of shipping insurers, help them provide better global services, and introduce new systems and rules on the arbitration of marine affairs” as one of the requirements for improving the institutions and mechanisms for modernising infrastructure. To this end, Shanghai has promulgated relevant policy, emphasised the co-ordinated development of shipping insurance and reinsurance, and improved the underwriting capacity and global service level of shipping insurance. It is foreseeable that China’s shipping insurance underwriting capacity, product innovation, premium rates, claims services, etc, will be further developed, and the legal service opportunities arising from shipping insurance will further increase.
A draft revision of the Maritime Code of China
The Maritime Code of China, which took effect on 01 July 1993, has provided an essential legal basis for China’s maritime trials and has played a significant role in promoting the development of shipping and international trade. However, with the development of shipping technology and the emergence of new international conventions and domestic laws, the inevitable contradictions that stem from outdated rules and imperfect systems have become increasingly apparent. On 04 November 2024, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress reviewed the draft revision of the Maritime Code and solicited opinions from the public. The government is aiming to review the draft as soon as practicable.
The draft revision consists of 16 chapters and 311 articles, making relatively comprehensive revisions to the current Maritime Code. In the field of cargo transportation, to some extent, it unifies the application of the law to both domestic and international maritime cargo transportation and stipulates that the relevant provisions of domestic maritime cargo transport shall apply mutatis mutandis to inland river cargo transportation. The revised draft ensures that the Maritime Code of China would compulsorily apply to the sea transportation whose loading and/or discharging ports were located in China. At the same time, the draft revision adds a section on “electronic transport records”, clarifies the legal status of electronic transport records, and stipulates that electronic transport records that meet statutory conditions have the same effect as traditional transport documents, providing a system guarantee for the digital development of shipping. The revised draft relocates the provisions concerning voyage charters from the “Contract of Carriage” chapter to the “Charter Parties” chapter, aiming to rectify misinterpretations in practice regarding the liability standards of shipowners and the application of limitations on maritime liability.
The draft revision further improves the relevant system for marine ecological environmental protection, adds a chapter on “ship oil pollution damage liability”, clarifies the scope of ship oil pollution damage compensation, and it stipulates that the liability for ship oil pollution damage compensation shall be borne by the owner of the oil-spilling ship, and that the state shall establish a mandatory ship oil pollution damage liability insurance system and a ship oil pollution damage compensation fund system. At the same time, the draft revision stipulates that the rescuer and the rescued party in maritime salvage shall not be exempted from the obligation to prevent or reduce environmental damage through contractual agreements. The revised draft seeks to incorporate the P&I into the regulatory framework governing marine insurance contracts.
A draft revision of the Arbitration Act of China
The current Arbitration Act of China greatly restricts the development of domestic ad hoc arbitration. However, foreign ad hoc arbitration awards fall within the scope of the New York Convention and, according to Article 543 of the Judicial Interpretation of the Civil Procedure Law, can be recognised and enforced by Chinese courts. China fully recognises the reality of the widespread use of ad hoc arbitration institutions internationally to resolve maritime disputes. Therefore, the draft revision of the Arbitration Act innovatively establishes a domestic ad hoc arbitration system and clarifies that its scope of application is limited to foreign-related maritime disputes and disputes with foreign-related elements occurring between enterprises registered in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone. Currently, institutions such as the China Maritime Law Association and the China Maritime Arbitration Commission have issued corresponding ad hoc arbitration rules, laying the foundation for the development of the ad hoc arbitration system.
在传统的航运行业中，数字化转型正在以不可逆转的趋势推进。波罗的海航运公会（BIMCO）推进“25 by 25 Pledge”，即在2025年实现在25%的贸易中使用电子运输记录；MSC、ONE、HMM、MAERSK等九家大型班轮公司承诺在2030年实现100%电子运输记录。中远海运积极推动电子运输记录系统的建设。此外，各大航运公司也在不断探索如何通过云计算、大数据、人工智能等技术来提升运营效率。
根据经修订的2003/87/EC号指令，自2024年1月1日，所有商用5000总吨及以上的船舶停靠在欧盟成员国境内，都将落入European Union Emissions Trading System（“EU ETS”）的规制范围，且适用对象将有序扩大。为此，航运公司必须监测和报告船舶甲烷、一氧化二氮以及二氧化碳的排放量。此举增加了航运公司的运营难度和成本，同时，也深度影响定期租船、航次租船下各方权利义务的负担。波罗的海航运公会（BIMCO）亦在其官网上公布相关定期租船和航次租船下所涉条款。
受俄乌冲突、以巴冲突等国际地缘政治的不确定性，航运业及全球供应链系统的稳定性和高效性仍受到较大冲击。2024年，由于红海航道危机，部分船舶无法使用传统的苏伊士运河航线，而不得不绕行好望角，增加了航运时间和运营成本。因应这些事件，航运公司需要重审安全策略，更加注重船舶安全与人力资源管理。
除上述重点变化之外，我们也注意到，其他一些变化趋势，受篇幅所限，仅作简述：随一带一路政策推进，中国改革开放不断深化，中国资本更有勇气、更有能力走向世界，供应链在东南亚、中亚、非洲等地陆续开展建设，对国际贸易、国际航运以及海上保险等领域产生深远影响。中国的船舶建造、海洋工程、海上新能源等领域，随着技术的发展和政策的演变，也呈现良好的发展态势。
《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革 推进中国式现代化的决定》将“提高航运保险承保能力和全球服务水平，推进海事仲裁制度规则创新”作为健全推动经济高质量发展体制机制的要求之一。为此，上海市颁布《关于加快上海国际再保险中心建设的实施意见》以及《关于推动上海航运保险业高质量发展的指导意见》，强调航运保险与再保险协同发展，提高航运保险承保能力和全球服务水平。可预见，中国的航运保险承保能力、险种创新、保费费率、理赔服务等将进一步发展，围绕航运保险产生的法律服务机会将进一步增加。
中国海商法自1993年7月1日起施行，为中国海事审判提供了重要的法律依据，对促进航运和贸易发展发挥了重要作用。但随国际公约推陈出新，国内法体系日渐完善，以及航运技术的发展，中国航运、贸易实践行使的变化等，中国海商法规则进一步修改、完善的现实需求愈发凸显。2024年11月4日，十四届全国人大常委会第十二次会议对海商法修订草案进行分组审议，并向社会公开征求意见，不久有望二读。
修订草案共16章311条，对现行海商法做了较为全面的修改。在货物运输领域，在一定程度上统一了国内和国际海上货物运输的法律适用，并规定内河货物运输参照适用国内海上货物运输的有关规定。修正草案强调装卸港在中国的海上运输合同，强制使用中国法律。同时，为适应航运单证电子化的实际需要，修订草案增加了“电子运输记录”一节，明确电子运输记录的法律地位，规定符合法定条件的电子运输记录与运输单证具有同等效力，为航运数字化发展提供制度保障。修订草案将有关航次租船合同的规范从运输合同一章调整之租船合同章节，以修正实践中有关出租人责任标准，海事赔偿责任限制的适用等方面的误解。
修订草案进一步健全海洋生态环境保护相关制度，增加“船舶油污损害责任”一章，明确船舶油污损害赔偿的范围，规定船舶油污损害赔偿责任由漏油船舶所有人承担，国家建立船舶油污损害强制责任保险制度和船舶油污损害赔偿基金制度。同时，修订草案规定海难救助的救助方和被救助方不得通过合同约定的免除骑防止或减少环境损害的义务。修正草案尝试将船东互保协会的入会协议纳入海上保险合同规范的调整范围。
中国现行《仲裁法》将“选定仲裁委员会”作为仲裁协议的有效要件之一，极大限制境内临时仲裁的发展。但境外临时仲裁裁决属于《纽约公约》的适用范围，根据《民事诉讼法》司法解释第五百四十三条，可以得到中国法院的承认与执行。同时，中国充分认识国际上广泛利用临时仲裁机构解决海事纠纷的现实，故《仲裁法》修订草案，开创性的设立境内临时仲裁制度，并明确其适用范围限于涉外海事纠纷以及自由贸易试验区内设立登记的企业之间发生的具有涉外因素的纠纷。目前，中国海商法协会、中国海事仲裁委员会等机构已经出台相应临时仲裁规则，为临时仲裁制度发展奠定基础。