[141011.EN.SEA] Taiwan to Ban Foreign Single-hull Tankers

Taipei: Taiwan will ban foreign single-hull oil tankers from entering its ports starting from 2013 in a move to protect the environment.
 
Taiwan will officially announce the policy by the end of this year but will give shipping companies a one-year grace period before enforcing the ban in 2013, according to the ministry of transportation and communications.
 
The ministry said the ban does not apply to domestic single-hulls as they mostly navigate on inland seas or around industrial ports and pose lower security concerns.
 
It will invite related agencies to hold further discussions on a phase-out timeframe for local single-hull oil tankers.
 
The IMO is phasing out single-hull oil tankers from 2015, or when the tanker reaches 25 years of age. 

Source : STA, 12.10.11.