Shipping Nations Call for Cooperation Warning of Emerging Two-Tier System
A coalition of 18 shipping nations issued a joint statement calling for greater cooperation and alignment with international rules, warning that recent global events demonstrate how fragile the system of maritime trade can be. The group warns that the sanction-busting shadow fleet, wars, and discriminatory trade measures are creating a parallel system within global shipping, a two-tier system, where one is governed by rules and the other by opacity, but where ultimately both are weakened.
“The answer to these challenges is not necessarily more rules nor to rely on a patchwork of unilateral actions, but rather better alignment of existing international rules,” writes the Consultative Shipping Group. Established in the 1960s and with participation of 18 shipping nations in Europe, Asia, and North America, the group serves as a forum for discussion and coordination of maritime policy issues.
It is raising an alarm while highlighting the critical role global shipping plays for everything from keeping store shelves stocked to keeping the global economy moving. It asserts that maritime transport is not just a service, but that is critical infrastructure underpinning the global economy and safeguarding food and energy security.
Furthermore, it is concerned that maritime supply chains have faced repeated disruptions in the past few years. It points to phenomena such as the drought in Panama and the COVID-19 pandemic, but also man-made challenges ranging from the war in Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East. It also highlights discriminatory trade measures while saying that global shipping “works best when rules are clear and consistent around the world.”
“When countries begin to pursue diverging approaches, regional initiatives or stalled multilateral processes weaken the coherence of the system. Fragmentation in rules leads directly to fragmentation in markets and ultimately to higher costs for businesses and consumers,” the group writes in its statement.
It points to the existence of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which it says provides a comprehensive legal framework governing activities at sea, including the rights of innocent and transit passage for ships. Furthermore, it highlights the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as the central forum responsible for developing global standards to ensure freedom of navigation while maintaining safety, security, and fair competition.
“We call on all maritime nations to actively support and uphold the core principles governing shipping, from freedom of navigation to the international legal frameworks governed by multilateral institutions such as the IMO. We commit to work together to ensure a level playing field by applying rules more consistently and transparently across global shipping,” said the 18 nations.
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They insist that existing international rules must be enforced consistently across jurisdictions. They also recognize that political support for developing and upholding common standards is paramount.
The statement concludes that sovereignty and resilience depend on cooperation, coordination, and practical problem-solving among trusted partners in the world’s maritime supply chains. They write that allowing fragmentation to deepen undermines the global rules-based maritime framework and increases the risk of disruptions at key maritime chokepoints.
