Advancing Safety, Sustainability, and Excellence in Dry Bulk Shipping

We aim to unite and promote quality dry bulk shipping through collaboration, by advancing the highest standards of safety, operational excellence, environmental stewardship, and sustainability in ship operations, and by supporting the consistent and effective implementation of regulatory and industry frameworks for the benefit of a safe, efficient, and sustainable global dry bulk sector.

Provide leadership, advocacy, and services that add tangible value across the global dry bulk shipping sector by amplifying INTERCARGO members’ voice, operational and reputational success, in accordance to the following principles.

The Chairman of INTERCARGO since 1 January 2025 is Mr. John A. Xylas.

INTERCARGO’s Members predominantly operate Bulk Carriers in the international dry bulk trades, such as coal, grain, iron ore and other bulk commodities. INTERCARGO’s main role is to work with our Members, the Regulators and other Shipping Associations to ensure that shipping operates safely, efficiently, and in an environmentally sound way. INTERCARGO actively participates in the development of global legislation through the International Maritime Organization and other international bodies.

Sustainability remains INTERCARGO’s overarching mandate, underpinned by an unwavering commitment to quality and collaborative initiatives that raise standards across the dry bulk shipping sector.

The dry bulk shipping sector stands at the crossroads of multiple, converging sustainability imperatives. INTERCARGO will continue to raise the bar on safety, environmental responsibility, operational excellence, and governance with the need for genuine and active engagement of all maritime cluster stakeholders as well as the safety, well-being, and professional development of seafarers at the core of its initiatives and advocacy.

INTERCARGO will continue to strengthen collaboration across the dry bulk shipping sector. Addressing global and interconnected challenges, ranging from sustainability and environmental stewardship to safety and operational excellence, requires coordinated, pragmatic, and inclusive approaches.

At the regulatory level, INTERCARGO will continue to advocate for pragmatic, globally consistent decarbonisation strategies, ensuring that any energy transition remains safe, technologically sound, and economically viable.

In this context, our Association will continue to support the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as the sole global regulator and advocate for cooperative, clear, and fair global solutions.

Globally, the sustainability transition is entering a period of turbulence. Political uncertainty, regulatory fragmentation, and corporate hesitation risk derailing progress. The danger lies in a “disorderly transition,” where ambition outpaces coordination. The dry bulk sector must therefore champion policy stability, pragmatic regulation, and collaborative governance, working with IMO, governments, and industry actors to avoid an uncoordinated, commercially disruptive path.

Success will depend on working together across all levels of the industry and beyond its traditional boundaries to share knowledge, develop expertise, and drive initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in safety, operational excellence, and sustainability.