Although 2025 is coming to an end, the last quarter has been very busy for IUMI.
Our annual conference in Singapore was a true success and included high profile speeches and presentations relating to the impact of AI on our business; new green technologies driving the shipping investment  community; and the ever-concerning evolution of geopolitics which is so important for marine insurers who rely on the freedom of services and trade to support global commerce.
You won’t have failed to take note of the latest IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting held in October where the majority of the participating states chose to delay the launch of  the net-zero framework. This meant that IMO regulation to support greener shipping was put on hold for a year. Nevertheless, investment in greener shipping through new technologies, particularly those based on dual fuel to reduce GHG emissions, continues to grow according to the new building order book. This trend looks set to continue and become the new normal for modern design vessels – particularly containerships – despite clear, international regulation from IMO.
Aside from this, marine insurers continue to grapple with a range of global issues, not least the deep uncertainty we face from tariffs and similar limitations on international trade and maritime transport. This places a huge question mark over global supply chains and all related stakeholders – including us as insurers.
It’s very likely that high levels of tariffs will remain in place throughout 2026 and this has the potential to fuel inflation. Similarly, it’s possible we’ll see new supply chains evolving with an emphasis on reshoring or near-shoring in countries and regions seeking to reduce their exposure.
Despite all this uncertainty and concerns, I’m confident that we, as marine insurers will retain our steadying influence and commitment to face this myriad of issues head-on and continue to play our part in facilitating global trade and commerce.
For its own part, IUMI will work hard to understand the evolving operating environments and developing risks and share that knowledge across our community, offering advice, education and leadership as appropriate.
May I wish you all a prosperous and peaceful 2026.
