SHIPPING

IMO backs free sea lanes, supports Phl trade

Maria Bernadette Romero · Jul 16, 2026, 2:16 AM

SHIPS are docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on 14 July 2026. Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz on 12 July and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbors, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew. — PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has moved to safeguard free passage through the world’s busiest shipping lanes, reinforcing a rules-based maritime order that supports the uninterrupted flow of Philippine trade, fuel imports and the movement of Filipino seafarers.

Coming off a recent global meeting, the IMO adopted a resolution reaffirming that navigational rights and freedoms must be preserved in accordance with international law, amid rising security concerns in key global shipping corridors.

“The right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation should not be threatened, impeded, denied, hampered, impaired, or suspended,” the IMO said.

The resolution places particular focus on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical gateway for global oil shipments that has faced renewed tensions in recent months.

The IMO condemned attacks on civilian commercial vessels and called for de-escalation in the Middle East, stressing that “any arrangement between the littoral States of the region shall guarantee the non-discriminatory and unimpeded right of transit passage of all ships” through the internationally recognized traffic separation scheme adopted by the organization.

It also reaffirmed that passage through the Strait should remain free of tolls and charges under international law, while directing the IMO Secretary-General to work with coastal states, member countries, and the shipping industry on measures to restore safe and unhindered navigation.