US regulations affecting your ships - get the April 2018 update!

Overview

This is the latest in a series of reports supplied by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) with the intention of keeping BIMCO members appraised of legislative developments in the US affecting international shipping. BIMCO highlights only the relevant developments that would impact members. The full CSA April report is also provided.

Port Everglades ballast discharge tariff update

Further to our BIMCO news piece on 5 April 2018, a meeting was held in April with port officials that included CSA member companies and companies from the cruise sector.

Though the meeting was productive in assisting both sides to understand the issue historically, potential economic impacts, county and port regulations, and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) regulations and the Vessel General Permit (VGP) for ships, there was no indication from the port at this stage that the discharge ban will be rescinded. They are however open to looking at all options and further broadening their understanding of current federal regulations governing ship's ballast water.

Further meetings are being scheduled and communications continue and members will be updated accordingly.

USCG increased marine casualty reporting property damage thresholds

The Coast Guard published the Final Rule in the Federal Register updating the monetary property damage threshold amounts for reporting a marine casualty and a Serious Marine Incident.

The reportable marine casualty property damage threshold amount changed from $25,000 to $75,000 (increased from $72,000 in NPRM) and the SMI property damage threshold from $100,000 to $200,000.

Full text of the FR Notice: FR Vol 83 No 53 - USCG Marine Casualty Thresholds

Procedural Vote on Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA)

As mentioned in our previous news piece on 8 June 2017, the US Coast Guard Authorisation bill will be brought to the US Senate which was done recently. Unfortunately, there were not sufficient votes to succeed even though it was a close vote.

MEPC 72 and Green House Gas (GHG) intersessional working group meeting

CSA attended the above-mentioned meetings held at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and was pleased with the outcome where an agreed strategy was agreed upon to reduce GHG. CSA congratulated amongst others, BIMCO for strongly advocating the commitments on GHG reductions on behalf of the global shipping industry and CSA believes that BIMCO,together with the other non-governmental organisations, communiciated this in a helpful and information manner which was critical in assisting the IMO and its member states to come together with an agreed strategy to deal with GHG reductions.

 

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VPS Bunker Alerts

Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.

The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.

 

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