TO ALL MEMBERS 22 February 2010 Dear Sirs REGULATIONS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF MARINE POLLUTION FROM SHIPS We refer to our previous circular on this topic dated 9 November 2009. Members have been advised that the new Regulations of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships (“the Regulations”) are due to take effect on 1 March 2010, but that the requirement for “operators” of any ship carrying polluting and hazardous cargoes in bulk or of any other vessel above 10,000 gt to conclude a pollution clean-up contract with a PRC Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) approved pollution response company before entering a PRC port would probably be postponed. It is the International Group’s understanding that the Regulations will still become effective on 1 March 2010. However, the International Group understands that the MSA has not completed the approval of contractors who will act as spill response organisations in accordance with the Regulations and has not agreed the standard contractual terms under which such organisations will operate. As a result, the International Group’s understanding remains that the date for operators to pre- contract with an approved pollution response contractor (1 March 2010) will not be enforced and that shipowners may have a further three months to make the necessary arrangements in order to ensure compliance from the date on which the list of approved contractors and the standard contractual terms under which they will operate are published. .. /...