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Asian shipowners urge greater collaboration with ICS

With Asia gaining prominence in the maritime industry, the relationship between the Asian shipowners and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has become even more important.

Vincent Wee, Hong Kong and South East Asia Correspondent

May 17, 2018

1 Min Read
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This fact was highlighted at a cocktail event ahead of the ICS annual general meeting in Hong Kong this week. Speaking at the event, TCC Group chief corporate officer Gary Cheung said: “Asia is maritime and maritime is Asia; ships and shipping have become the driving force as well as the foundation upon which the dynamic economic growth of Asia has been built.”

He added: “The collaboration and partnership of Asian shipowners’ associations and the ICS plays a critical role in interpreting, strategizing and formulating action plans in meeting the flood of challenges from maritime regulatory entities.”

“Whether these challenges deal with environmental, safety, operational or liability compliance Asia is more often than not on the receiving end of all these challenges,” Cheung said, noting that often in Asia, ship owners, managers, builders, maritime training institutions and many companies are usually left to their own devices when it comes to meeting these challenges.

This was “an extremely daunting task when maritime regulatory requirements have become increasingly disengaged from the realities of ships and shipping," Cheung pointed out.

Read More: ICS responds to Indonesia cabotage decree

The Asian shipping industry’s job description is becoming more and more of a “miracle worker being tasked to perform mission impossible,” he quipped. As such the urgency for the ICS to heed the voice of the Asian shipping industry and to work with ICS members in this region is “growing exponentially day by day”.

Synergy must be developed between the producers and end users of regulations, he reiterated. “The burden of compliance should be shared and this can only be done through collaboration, coordination and cooperation,” Cheung concluded.

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Hong KongICS

About the Author

Vincent Wee

Hong Kong and South East Asia Correspondent

Vincent Wee is Seatrade's Hong Kong correspondent covering Hong Kong and South China while also making use of his Malay language skills to cover the Malaysia and Indonesia markets. He has gained a keen insight and extensive knowledge of the offshore oil and gas markets gleaned while covering major rig builders and offshore supply vessel providers.

Vincent has been a journalist for over 15 years, spending the bulk of his career with Singapore's biggest business daily the Business Times, and covering shipping and logistics since 2007. Prior to that he spent several years working for Brunei's main English language daily as well as various other trade publications.

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