European shipowners concerned at Indonesian cabotage ruling

European shipowners concerned at Indonesian cabotage ruling
Sam Chambers February 20th, 2018 http://splash247.com/european-shipowners-concerned-indonesian-cabotage-r...

European shipowners have joined protests from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) opposing a decree Indonesia adopted recently. The new law in Southeast Asia’s largest nation statesthat certain commodities can only be transported for import or export by national maritime transport companies. Commodities affected are coal, crude palm oil, rice and goods for government procurement.

“This new law is a clear measure of protectionism and will impact seriously European shipping companies that have longstanding access to this market. European shipowners also warn that it puts at risk the Indonesian’s business climate and confidence for foreign investors,” the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) stated in a release on Monday.

Martin Dorsman, ECSA’s secretary general commented: “In a time when the EU and Indonesia are negotiating on a free trade agreement the adoption by the Indonesian authorities of such a law is unacceptable. In view of this week’s bilateral trade talks we have passed our concerns on to the European Commission and hope they will see a chance to question their Indonesian counterparts on this matter.”

Earlier this month, Peter Hinchliffe, the departing ICS secretary general, wrote an open letter to Indonesia’s minister of trade, Enggartiasto Lukita, in which he voiced similar concern.

“If our understanding is correct, this would appear to be a form of discriminatory cargo reservation, which would be contrary to accepted international practice and maritime free trade principles that are adhered to by Indonesia’s trading partners, including those in Asia,” Hinchliffe wrote. Cargo reservation is also contrary to the obligations which Indonesia has accepted as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), he pointed out.