China adopts new shipping controls

The Asian giant is to follow the rest of the world in maritime emissions regulations

China's extension of its emission control areas to its entire coastline, starting from January 2019, exemplifies the pressure facing the global shipping fleet, bunkering industry, oil and gas majors, and fuel-testing agencies as they face imminent low-sulphur regulations. China's new controls, which were announced in mid-2018, bring its waters up to date with the regulations already applying in European Emission Control Areas (ECAs). As such, they look like setting a benchmark in a region that has not exactly been in a hurry to impose emissions restrictions on its waters. Beijing's regulations set a sulphur content limit of 0.5pc and will affect all vessels sailing within 12 nautical miles o