The 19th implementation meeting of the EU–China Maritime Transport Agreement was held in Shanghai, China, on 19 October 2026.
The Chinese delegation was led by Mr Yang Huaxiong, Director-General of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport of China. The European Union delegation was led by Ms Fotini Ioannidou, Director for Waterborne Transport at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport. Representatives of the European Commission, EU Member States, relevant Chinese authorities and the maritime industry from both sides also participated.
The meeting provided an opportunity for constructive exchanges on developments and challenges affecting international maritime transport. Both sides reaffirmed the significance of the EU-China maritime dialogue mechanism and exchanged views on topics including the green development of the international shipping industry, updates of the international container shipping market, their respective international shipping market policies, and on the resilience and smooth functioning of EU-China maritime supply chains.
Both sides recognised the importance of maintaining stable and predictable conditions for international maritime transport and expressed their willingness to continue dialogue and exchanges on matters of common interest, with a view to supporting safe, efficient, resilient and sustainable international shipping.
