To the Association’s Members

You may be aware that for foreign flagged vessels 100 GT and above entering or leaving Japanese waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the current practice is to apply for a MLIT Certificate using MMIA’s Certificate of Entry (COE).  You may also be aware that you can apply for a Bunker Convention Blue Card and/or a Wreck Removal Convention Blue Card from MMIA and use these Blue Cards to exchange for a Bunker / Wreck Removal Convention Certificate from a signatory flag state.  Effective from 1st October 2020, following Japan’s accession to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (“Bunker Convention”) and the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007 (“Wreck Removal Convention“), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan has amended its laws on Liability for Oil Pollution Damage and Removal of Wrecks.

What this means is that from 1^st October 2020, all vessels within the Japanese Waters and its EEZ will be required to carry onboard MLIT Certificate, Convention Certificate or both in accordance with the following criteria: