International Maritime Organization

Rule Changes

Will maintain the convention's international registry

For decades, buyers of ships sold through court proceedings faced a paradox: they held valid title in one country but risked arrest of their vessel in another, where previous creditors could still assert claims. On February 17, 2026, the Beijing Convention entered into force for its first three member states—Spain, Barbados, and El Salvador—creating an international system where a judicial sale in one country grants 'clean title' recognized everywhere the treaty applies.

Updated May 29