The new “Provisions on the Safety Supervision and Administration of Carriage of Hazardous Goods by Vessels” (hereinafter referred to as “Provisions”), issued by the Ministry of Transport under Order No.14 of 2024, will come into implementation on March 1, 2025. This update marks a new step in strengthening the safety supervision and administration on of vessels carrying hazardous goods in our China.

Compared with the 2018 version of the Provisions, the new version has been revised and improved in many aspects. Firstly, the new Provisions further clarify the responsibilities of the Ministry of Transport and the MSA in the safety administration of vessels carrying hazardous goods, and strengthen the specific regulatory responsibilities of MSAs at all levels. Secondly, regarding the administration of vessels and personnel, the new Provisions put forward more stringent requirements, including specific requirements for ship owners, operators, or managers to establish and implement safety operation and pollution prevention management systems, as well as requirements for crew members to hold special training certificates and be familiar with safety knowledge and operating procedures.

In terms of packaging and container management, the new Provisions put forward clearer requirements for the performance standards and inspection certificates of hazardous goods packaging, and detailed the responsibilities of container stuffing site inspectors. In addition, the new Provisions also revised the management of declaration and reporting, operation safety management, and other aspects, to meet the development needs of the current shipping industry and the requirements of international conventions.

It is worth noting that the new Provisions have supplemented and strengthened the part of legal liability, and set more stringent penalties for violations to ensure the effective implementation of the Provisions.

The implementation of the new Provisions will help improve the safety supervision level of ships carrying hazardous goods in China, ensure the safety of lives and property on water, prevent ship pollution to the environment, and promote the healthy development of shipping industry in China.