Circular issued by International Group clubs Circular issued by International Group clubs We refer Members to previous circulars resting with  ours dated 1 June 2015 on the Regulations of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships and the requirement that Owners/Operators of (a) any ship carrying polluting and hazardous cargoes in bulk or (b) any other ship above 10,000 GT enter into a pollution clean-up contract with a Ship Pollution Response Organisation (SPRO) before the ship enters a PRC port or engages in loading, discharge or ship-to-ship transfers outside of the port but within 20 nautical miles off shore. Members are informed that the PRC Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) recently published new Measures of Administration on Agreement for Ship Pollution Response Regime, which will become effective on 1 March 2020. In conjunction with the new Measures, the MSA has also published a Directory of Hazardous Bulk Liquid Cargo Apt to Cause Pollution (the "Directory") for which oil booms need to be deployed during cargo operations or an Agreement with a SPRO needs to be concluded. The International Group (IG) has checked this effective date with the China MSA and it has been confirmed that this date will remain as 1 March 2020 and will not be postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As can be seen from the attached updated SPRO table, there is no material change to the SPRO requirements as a result, however Members will note that from 1 March 2020, no SPRO Agreements will be needed for any of the following: Any ship under 10,000 GT either in ballast or carrying a liquid cargo in bulk not listed in the Directory; or Any ship of any size that is driven by clean fuels and either (i) carrying a liquid cargo not in bulk (even if that liquid is listed in the Directory) or (ii) carrying a liquid in bulk that is not listed in the Directory or (iii) carrying a non-liquid (i.e. solid) cargo. Oil booming is only required, in