JTN-China Dispute Resolution Newsletter_June 2026

NEWS ALERT

1. Revised PRC Maritime Law and Accompanying Judicial Interpretation Take Effect

On 1 May 2026, the comprehensively amended PRC Maritime Law and the Supreme People’s Court’s accompanying Judicial Interpretation on Temporal Validity entered into force, marking the Maritime Law’s first major overhaul since 1992. The revised framework is deeply rooted in international harmonization. Key chapters—including Passenger Carriage, Ship Collisions, Marine Salvage, and Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims—fully incorporate major international conventions (such as the 1974 Athens Convention, 1910 Collision Convention, 1989 Salvage Convention, and 1976 LLMC). Additionally, provisions governing ship mortgages, maritime liens, cargo carriage, general average, charter parties, towage, and marine insurance have been updated to reflect widely adopted standard form contracts and global best practices. Key highlights of this milestone revision include, but are not limited to: (1)