Asian Shipowners Association

The Asian Shipowners' Association (ASA) is a voluntary regional organisation comprising six member associations including China Shipowners' Association, Cook Islands Ship Owners Association, Hong Kong Shipowners Association, The Japanese Shipowners' Association, Korea Shipowners' Association, and the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners' Associations, representing shipowners' associations across ASEAN member countries. ASA was established to promote and safeguard the collective interests of Asian shipowners and to provide a coordinated regional platform on key international maritime policy issues. Between Annual General Meetings, ASA's work is carried out through five Standing Committees covering the full spectrum of shipping policy, regulatory, and operational priorities. These committees are chaired by member associations as follows:

• Seafarers Committee (SC) – chaired by the China Shipowners' Association
• Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC) – chaired by the Hong Kong Shipowners Association
• Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC) – chaired by the FASA Singapore
• Shipping Policy Committee (SPC) – chaired by the Japanese Shipowners' Association
• Ship Recycling Committee (SRC) – chaired by the China Shipowners' Association

Through these committees, ASA advances coordinated Asian positions on seafarer welfare, maritime safety, insurance and liability frameworks, environmental protection and decarbonisation, shipping policy development, and sustainable ship recycling. UNCTAD data underscores Asia's structural importance in global shipping. The region accounts for approximately 63% of global container port calls and dominates global liner shipping connectivity, reflecting its central role in container trade flows. Asian economies also represent around 95% of global shipbuilding output, reinforcing their position across both fleet supply and maritime industrial capacity. Against this backdrop, ASA represents one of the most significant collective shipping blocs globally. It is estimated that shipowners and managers represented within ASA control and operate around half of the world's cargo-carrying fleet, highlighting Asia's central role not only in ship ownership and management, but also in the operational execution of global maritime trade.