BIMCO is one of the largest of the international shipping associations representing

shipowner A ship-owner is the owner of a merchant vessel (commercial ship) and is involved in the shipping industry. In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain frei ...

s. BIMCO states that its membership represents approximately 60 percent of the world's merchant shipping tonnage and that it has members in more than 130 countries, including managers, brokers and agents. BIMCO states that its primary objective is to protect its global membership through the provision of information and advice, while promoting fair business practices and facilitating harmonisation and standardisation of commercial shipping practices and contracts. BIMCO's headquarters is in

Bagsværd Bagsværd () is a middle-class suburb located approximately 12 km northwest of central Copenhagen, in the Gladsaxe Municipality. The town center is recognizable by the Bagsværd Towers, two high-rise apartment blocks. The suburb is connected to t ...

, a suburb of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. The current President is Sabrina Chao（赵式明), who took over as the 45th President of BIMCO in May 2021. The current Secretary General and CEO is David Loosley, who was previously CEO at

IMarEST The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) is the international membership body and learned society for marine professionals operating in the spheres of marine engineering, science, or technology. It has registered c ...

. To support the development and refinement of maritime regulations, BIMCO is accredited as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with all relevant

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

organs, specifically the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...

. In an effort to promote its agenda and objectives, the association maintains a close dialogue with governments and diplomatic representations around the world, including maritime administrations, regulatory institutions, and other stakeholders within the areas of EU, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and Asia. BIMCO also conducts various training programmes around the world for the Maritime community.BIMCO Maritime Training
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History

BIMCO was founded in 1905 in Copenhagen by a group of shipowners who came together to agree timber freight rates. In 1913, the organisation created the first draft of a standard charter party agreement. By 2016, the organisation had 2,200 member companies.

Publications

BIMCO produces industry guidance and publications in partnership with the

Witherby Publishing Group Witherby Publishing Group, formerly known as Witherby Seamanship, is a technical publisher of maritime, nautical and navigation training, reference and regulatory materials. The company is the resulting merger of Witherby Books and Seamansh ...

. For example,

cyber security Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...

has come under increased focus in the maritime industry since the IMO required cyber security to be addressed under the

International Safety Management Code The International Safety Management (ISM) Code is the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standard for the safe management and operation of ships at sea. The purpose of the ISM Code * To ensure safety at sea and prevent damage to property, ...

and in 2019, BIMCO, the

International Chamber of Shipping The International Chamber of Shipping is one of the world's principal shipping organisations, representing around 80% of the world's merchant tonnage through membership by national shipowners' associations. It is concerned with maritime regulatory, ...

, and Witherbys published the ''Cyber Security Workbook for Onboard Ship Use''. The second edition of the nautical workbook was published in 2021. In 2021, with Witherbys, BIMCO published an updated guidance title on contractual risks entitled ''Check Before Fixing''. BIMCO publishes industry standard contracts for ocean towage, including TOWCON and TOWHIRE which were updated in 2021. The organisation also publishes shipbuilding contracts. In August 2022, in partnership with Witherbys and ICS, BIMCO issued a guidance title for the shipping industry on

biofouling Biofouling or biological fouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals where it is not wanted on surfaces such as ship and submarine hulls, devices such as water inlets, pipework, grates, ponds, and rivers that ...

entitled ''Biofouling, Biosecurity and Hull Cleaning''.

References

External links

Web
{{Authority control Shipping trade associations Organizations established in 1905 1905 establishments in Denmark Trade associations based in Denmark Non-profit organizations based in Copenhagen Companies based in Gladsaxe Municipality