“I didn’t expect to get a low-interest loan so quickly using ‘Maritime Credit’!” On April 24, Mr. Huang, head of Guigang Deqin Shipping Company, said happily. His company’s ships have had no serious deficiencies, no accident records, and no administrative penalties in three consecutive years of safety inspections, earning a maritime credit rating of “Good Faith.” Relying on this credit, when applying for ship loans from the bank, the approval time was shortened by nearly half, and the loan interest rate was significantly lower than ordinary loans, saving nearly 100,000 yuan in interest alone each year. This is the tangible benefit brought by Guangxi’s newly implemented convenience measures of “Maritime Credit + Shipping Finance” and “Maritime Credit + Shipping Insurance.”
Recently, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, in conjunction with the Guangxi Financial Regulatory Bureau, officially launched 15 key annual measures, focusing on seven core areas including information sharing, integrated ship departure services, coordinated shipping financial supervision, and rapid handling and compensation for minor maritime incidents. In terms of accident handling and insurance services, an innovative mechanism for “rapid rescue, rapid handling, and rapid compensation” for minor maritime incidents has been established. Relying on the Guangxi Waterway “One-Stop Dispute Resolution” Center, a pilot integrated service for minor waterway incidents involving insured ships is being implemented, achieving a convenient experience of “at most one visit” or even “no visit needed.” In terms of credit integration and financial empowerment, banks and insurance institutions are guided to incorporate maritime credit evaluation results into the entire process of credit approval, rate determination, and quota calculation, serving as an important reference for providing differentiated loan and insurance policies. Currently, in pilot areas such as Guigang and Laibin, shipping companies can enjoy lower loan interest rates based on their maritime credit. At the same time, banks and insurance institutions in pilot areas are guided to precisely develop customized and differentiated shipping financial products for shipping companies and ships with different credit levels and safety conditions, continuously enriching the supply of shipping financial products.
Wu Weiwei, Director of the Legal and Regulatory Division of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, stated that “Maritime Credit” is a “credit score” assigned to each ship and each shipping company based on the national “Credit Management Regulations for the Maritime Regulatory Field (Trial),” primarily based on ship safety inspection records, accident risks, administrative penalties, pollution prevention and control, and other factors. Poor credit indicates higher risk. The Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, together with the Guangxi Financial Regulatory Bureau, directly pushes this “credit score” to banks and insurance companies—shipowners with good credit find it easier to obtain loans, with lower interest rates and more efficient services; when purchasing insurance, premiums are cheaper and claims are more convenient. The implementation of the 15 measures will effectively promote the integration and innovation of maritime credit with finance and insurance, allowing shipowners who value credit and safety to gain real benefits in the financial and insurance sectors, fostering a favorable ecosystem where “the trustworthy benefit and the untrustworthy are restricted,” and driving the entire shipping market to be safer and more efficient.
In the next step, the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration will continue to deepen coordination and collaboration with financial regulatory authorities, implementing each measure meticulously and thoroughly, fully unleashing the synergistic effect of maritime regulation and financial regulation. This will provide strong support for the construction of the Beibu Gulf International Gateway Port, the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt, helping Guangxi’s shipping economy achieve higher-quality development.
