The Association has received the attached circular from Huatai Insurance Agency & Consultant Service Ltd., our correspondent in China, on the abolition of the sludge and garbage disposal requirement on ocean vessels before departure from Chinese ports.

The Ministry of Transportation of China has issued a formal notice that as from 13 December 2016 sludge and garbage disposal is no longer mandatory to ocean vessels before they leave Chinese ports, including all the ports within Bohai area.

The summary of the timeline of the relevant regulation change appears in the attached circular.