Deep-ocean liners to participate in coastal transportation

Deep-ocean liners are now legally permitted to operate between domestic ports.

The National Assembly passed the bill put forward by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on November 12. The bill went into effect on November 15.

According to the law, Korean deep-ocean liners excluding foreign shipping companies can now transport cargoes between domestic ports without extra registration on the business.

To date, cargoes moving between domestic ports, for example, Inchon and Pusan, Kwangyang and Inchon, have only been permitted to coastal carriers including the Hanjin Transportation. The revised law makes it possible to transship import and export cargoes through domestic ports, which would otherwise be transshipped through neighboring foreign ports such as the Port of Kobe or Hong Kong.