Shipping Authorities Discuss Resilience, Safety and U.S. Policy
Overview
From September 21 to 23, 2026, the Conference of Shipowners and Shipbuilders (CSG), a meeting with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and a policy dialogue with U.S. maritime authorities were held in Washington, D.C. Japan was represented by the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Embassy of Japan in the United States, and the Japanese Shipowners' Association. Participants discussed a broad range of issues, including the resilience of international shipping in light of geopolitical risks, navigational safety along critical sea lanes, and U.S. maritime policy. They affirmed the importance of continued cooperation among stakeholders under common rules centered on the IMO and UNCLOS.
Key points
- The meetings covered the resilience of international shipping, freedom of navigation and safety on critical sea lanes, and U.S. maritime policy.
- The participants affirmed the importance of continued cooperation among CSG member countries, the United States, and ICS under global common rules centered on the IMO and UNCLOS.
- The CSG is a framework for policy coordination among maritime authorities from 18 countries.
Overview
From September 21 through 23, 2026, meetings of the CSG, a meeting with ICS, and a policy dialogue with U.S. maritime authorities were held at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States and the Embassy of Canada in the United States, in Washington, D.C.
Japan was represented by the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Embassy of Japan in the United States under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Japanese Shipowners' Association. Participants also included CSG member countries, the European Commission, ICS and national shipowners' associations, the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Federal Maritime Commission, and the Department of State.
Details
The CSG aims to ensure free access to international shipping markets and free and fair competition, and exchanges views annually on market access, responses to protectionist measures, navigational safety, and marine environmental protection. The policy dialogue between U.S. maritime authorities and the CSG (the US-CSG meeting) is held once every 2 years.
The agenda also included shipping decarbonization, flag-state responsibilities, and responses to shadow fleets. Japan called for the importance of achieving both resilience in maritime transport and an open international shipping market.