Russia is set to impose stricter rules on the age of ships allowed to ply its maritime trade network, with a draft regulation that would ban foreign-flagged ships older than 40 years from entering the country’s ports.

The Ministry of Transport has published draft legislation for public consultation which sets different age thresholds depending on the flag of the vessel. Foreign-registered ships would be limited to a maximum of 40 years of age, while Russian-flagged vessels would have a separate 50-year limit.

The proposal is part of a wider Moscow drive to boost oversight of the maritime fleet carrying its seaborne cargo and raise compliance with safety and environmental standards.

Foreign Older Vessels – Annual Inspections

The draft, and proposed entry limits, also call for increased monitoring of foreign-flagged vessels older than 30 years.

These vessels would need to go through an annual inspection to show they meet the relevant safety and environmental standards. The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping would provide the necessary certificates.

Authorities would assess vessels on the basis of a number of criteria including their inspection history, repair records, technical condition and insurance coverage.

The proposed framework would also extend compliance obligations to parties other than shipowners and operators. The contracts for the carriage of cargo would have to specify in terms of the vessels used that they comply with the new requirements. Maritime terminal operators would also take on additional responsibilities to ensure that ships calling at their facilities comply with the prescribed standards.

Transit requirements for Russian-flagged ships will likely be tied to the validity period of the classification certificates.

Implementation Planned for 180 Days After Publication

If approved, the regulation will take effect 180 days after it is officially published, allowing the maritime industry to have a clear schedule to prepare for the new requirements.

This is not the first such initiative. For more than a year, Moscow has been working on plans to limit use of old vessels. In July, the Ministry of Transport said it would impose a 40-year age limit on foreign ships and proposed tougher inspections for older vessels under the Russian flag.

This latest draft is another step toward turning those plans into a formal regulatory regime.

Fleet Renewal is Still a Major Hurdle

Russia may find it difficult to replace older vessels even if the government wishes to curb maritime operations.

Last month, Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Poshivay admitted that the restrictions would not be enforced until the country was certain it could obtain enough replacement ships.

He also mentioned structural limitations affecting Russia’s domestic shipbuilding industry, in particular, in terms of available production capacity, construction costs and delivery times.

The constraints present a major problem for Moscow of imposing tougher age requirements and at the same time ensuring the country's maritime fleet has sufficient capacity to support seaborne trade.

Thus, the implementation timing will be dictated not only by the adoption of the regulation but also by Russia’s ability to replace the aging tonnage without disruption to the operations of maritime transport.