Terminal operators at Huangdao, one of China’s largest oil ports in Shandong Province, have announced new measures targeting the so-called shadow fleet and aging tankers. According to an official notice, starting November 1, vessels using fake IMO numbers, as well as tankers older than 31 years, will no longer be allowed to enter the port.
The move aims to curb oil shipments carried out by vessels operating under Western sanctions. The announcement comes a month after the U.S. identified a terminal in the neighboring port of Dongjiakou as a recipient of Iranian oil carried by sanctioned ships. Both terminals are located in the Qingdao port area, a major hub for Iranian oil imports to China.
The new rules also ban entry for vessels with invalid or expired international certificates, as well as those with recorded accidents or environmental violations in the past three years. A risk assessment system has also been introduced: with a maximum score of 100, ships rated below 55 are considered high-risk and will not be permitted to anchor.
Analysts note the measures appear largely precautionary, driven by environmental concerns and mounting U.S. sanctions pressure, though the latter is not explicitly mentioned in the notice. The overall impact is expected to be limited, as Huangdao plays only a minor role in handling high-risk tankers compared with other Shandong ports.
The terminal operators include:
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Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co
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Qingdao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal Co
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Qingdao Gangxin Oil Products Co
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Qingdao Lixing Logistics Co
