CHINA ALLOWS MORE TIME FOR COMMENTS ON NEW SHIPPING RULES

CHINA ALLOWS MORE TIME FOR COMMENTS ON NEW SHIPPING RULES    The Department of Water Transport of China’s Ministry of Communications has extended the deadline for comments on the country’s new “Implementing Rules for Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on International Maritime Transportation.”
   Saying that it aims to “listen to comments and suggestions from the industry to a fuller extent,” the Chinese Department of Water Transport extended the deadline for comment to July 31.
   The implementing rules were published for comment on June 21, following a storm of protest about the main Regulations on International Maritime Transportation, adopted by China last December.
   Last week, U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain William Schubert strongly criticized the implementing rules and the associated new Regulations on International Maritime Transportation, saying that they are restrictive and inconsistent with international standards.
   Schubert also asked the Chinese to reconsider the new law.