• The Bulgarian Shipowners Association (BSA) joins the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) as an Affiliate National Association Member.
• Established in 2003, the Bulgarian Shipowners Association aims to support the business activities of its members globally.
• Bulgaria has a strong maritime sector, with shipowners investing in eco dry bulk ships and the Ports of Varna and Burgas being key hubs for maritime trade in the Black Sea Region.

16 June 2026, London: Today, the Bulgarian Shipowners Association (BSA) joins the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) as an Affiliate National Association Member.

Established in 2003, the Bulgarian Shipowners Association aims to support the business activities of its members, not only in Bulgaria but globally. The association strongly focuses on safe and quality shipping as well as a focus on environmental compliance, regularly sharing international and national best operational practices for shipping in the area.

Bulgaria has a strong maritime sector, with the BSA’s membership investing in eco dry bulk ships, and the Port of Varna and Port of Burgas being key hubs for maritime trade in the Black Sea Region. The sector also contributes significantly to the country’s economy.

Thomas A. Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, said:

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome the Bulgarian Shipowners Association to ICS, further strengthening our membership with their knowledge and experience. Our industry faces collective challenges, and it is through dialogue and collaboration that we can find the solutions needed to meet these head on. We are currently in a very volatile and uncertain operating environment, and I look forward to working with the Bulgarian Shipowners’ Association, and all our members, to tackle the important matters facing our industry.”

BSA Representative Captain Aleksandar Kalchev added:

“We truly hope that with our membership we will be able to contribute so that the International Chamber of Shipping has an even deeper insight into the problems of the maritime industry. In this world of geopolitical uncertainty, it is important for the entire maritime sector to be united, because the challenges ahead of us are many and not easy to solve. The topic of the day – the transition to zero carbon emissions cannot be postponed and urgent but reasonable decisions must be taken today, because the shipping sector must be confident that the investments it makes will be repaid and will lead to a real reduction of the harmful footprint of our activity. I believe that BSA Members invest wisely, managing new and modern ships, and it will be mutually beneficial to share their knowledge and experience, indeed.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

About ICS

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the principal global trade association for merchant shipowners and operators, representing all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world’s merchant fleet – www.ics-shipping.org.

About BSA

The Bulgarian Shipowners Association (BSA), is a legal entity, registered according to the Bulgarian Law. The Association was established on 30.09.2003 in the city of Varna by eight private shipowners, being legal entities. The total deadweight of BSA members’ owned fleet is over 1.6 million DWT. BSA is a voluntary non-profit association for assistance, encouragement, representation and protection of the interests of its members, it cooperates for development of the national and international maritime economical collaboration and for recognition of spirit of respectability in the Bulgarian maritime business. – www.bsa-bg.com