COSCO Shipping Holdings actively participates in the development of international commercial rules and market mechanisms.

Recently, during the 2026 North Bund International Shipping Forum, COSCO Shipping Holdings signed the "Initiative for the Construction of the 'Yangpu Port—Abu Dhabi Port' Green Shipping Corridor." While assisting in the construction of the green corridor, the company also made continuous efforts during the "Finance and Insurance" thematic forum in areas such as international commercial shipping services and the improvement of the container freight rate index system, contributing to the enhancement of the Shanghai International Shipping Center's capabilities.

Demonstration Case of Using Shanghai Arbitration Clause in International Charter Contracts

During the "Finance and Insurance" thematic forum held on October 20, COSCO (Cayman) Mercury Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Holdings, reached a deep-level partnership with Seaspan, a globally renowned independent container ship owner and leasing operator. The two parties designated Shanghai as the arbitration venue for charter contract disputes. This collaboration aims to serve as a demonstration model for the global shipping market to adopt Shanghai maritime arbitration services and contribute to better integration of China's high-end shipping legal services into the global shipping governance system.

Relying on world-leading port infrastructure and comprehensive collection and distribution systems, the Shanghai International Shipping Center continues to strengthen its maritime capabilities, attract global shipping elements, and create a core hub for domestic and international dual circulation. Based on this, Shanghai is simultaneously enhancing its shipping service capacity, with a focus on developing high-end shipping services such as maritime law, with steady growth in arbitration business scale.

As a globalized shipping enterprise, COSCO Shipping Holdings has long paid attention to and supported the construction of international commercial shipping rules, actively participating in discussions on shipping arbitration rules and legal exchanges within the industry. The company continues to introduce Shanghai's internationally aligned commercial arbitration mechanisms to overseas partners and, based on its extensive global commercial performance experience, actively helps Shanghai build a shipping legal ecosystem that connects supply and demand. Through real business practices by market participants, the company continually accumulates industry consensus and practical foundations, making Shanghai a preferred destination for international commercial shipping services.

New Routes Added to the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI)

During the "Finance and Insurance" thematic forum, COSCO Shipping Holdings witnessed the official launch of new route indices for the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange (preparatory). These new indices include seven routes such as 40-foot containers from Shanghai to Europe. At the same time, the "Sample Service Contract for Container Freight Index-Linked Rates (2026 Edition)" was officially launched.

To further enhance index products and improve refined service capabilities, trial operations for additional indices, including East Africa 20-foot and Central & South America 20-foot freight rate indices, will start in January 2025. In May 2026, trial operations will begin for indices such as Europe 40-foot, Mediterranean 40-foot, South America 40-foot, Central & South America 40-foot, and India-Pakistan 20-foot freight rate indices. During the trial operation period, the performance of the new indices will timely reflect market trends, attracting widespread attention from market participants. The official release of these route indices will further enrich the container index system and provide more accurate and detailed pricing references and linkage settlement benchmarks for shipping industry upstream and downstream companies.

COSCO Shipping Lines and Orient Overseas, under COSCO Shipping Holdings, are among the largest container carriers at Shanghai Port, with trunk networks covering almost all directions associated with these seven routes.

The concurrently launched "Sample Service Contract for Container Freight Index-Linked Rates (2026 Edition)" introduces additional indexed container types, expands index coverage, and diversifies linkage benchmarks based on the original template. This better meets the diversified settlement needs of ship owners, cargo owners, and financial institutions, promoting a more standardized and transparent application of indices.

"Making rules effective and services usable." In the future, COSCO Shipping Holdings will leverage global business scenarios and market practice as a test, relying on its global shipping network and industrial chain synergy advantages to continue facilitating the implementation of market tools such as freight rate indices, thereby better supporting the stability of global supply chains.