Eighteen of the world's leading maritime nations, forming the Consultative Shipping Group (CSG), issued a rare joint statement warning that the international rules governing maritime trade are under threat. They highlight that conflicts, trade restrictions, and disruptions at critical chokepoints are raising costs and uncertainty across global supply chains. The group emphasizes that over 80% of global trade relies on sea transport, and without it, supply chains would fragment, bringing the global economy to a halt.
The CSG specifically points to events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, drought in the Panama Canal, and the U.S.-Iran war as contributing to repeated disruptions. They warn that geopolitical pressures are not episodic but signal a "structural shift in the operating environment of global trade." The group asserts that "shipping routes are increasingly instruments of leverage and risk," and calls for stronger international cooperation and enforcement of common shipping standards to maintain an open global trade system.
A significant concern raised by the CSG is the proliferation of an "unregulated shadow fleet" comprising hundreds of vessels operating outside standard insurance, safety, and transparency frameworks. This shadow fleet, estimated to include over 1,500 tankers, is often used to circumvent sanctions and operates without traditional insurance. Such operations create a parallel, opaque system within global shipping, increasing risks, bypassing environmental and safety standards, and ultimately weakening trust and predictability in maritime markets. For example, a shadow-fleet vessel carrying 800,000 barrels of Russian oil recently struck a mine, and without traditional insurance, the cost of potential environmental damage could fall to the affected state.
The group also highlights the potential for "discriminatory trade measures" and calls for the active support and upholding of core principles governing shipping. They argue that "fragmentation in rules leads directly to fragmentation in markets and ultimately to higher costs for businesses and consumers." The CSG, whose members include maritime authorities from Germany, Canada, Japan, the U.K., Denmark, and South Korea, stresses that uncertainty about future access to ports or routes can severely impact long-term commercial planning and that diverging national approaches weaken the coherence of the global maritime system.
The rising geopolitical tensions have also led to discussions about imposing tolls on critical waterways like the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is reportedly seeking a service fee of 5% or 7% per barrel of oil, potentially generating close to $20 billion annually. Shipping associations warn that such tolls, or even those on other straits like Malacca and Gibraltar, would lead to higher energy prices, inflation, and economic uncertainty, impacting livelihoods worldwide. They urge the UN to oppose these charges, citing that they would violate international norms and set a dangerous precedent, ultimately increasing the cost of global trade, which is largely carried by sea.
