Sulphur zones

Where to burn what, and from when

The sulphur limits for ships around the world, including the new zones coming in 2027 and 2028. Pick a date and tap a zone.

  • 0.10% in force
  • 0.10% coming (not yet in force on that date)
  • National or port rule
  • 0.50% worldwide

All the rules at a glance

AreaMax. sulphurApplies fromWhere
Worldwide0.50%1 January 2020All waters outside the zones on this map (MARPOL Annex VI, "IMO 2020").
North Sea and English Channel
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 January 2015The North Sea south of 62°N and east of 4°W, the Skagerrak, and the English Channel east of 5°W and north of 48°30'N.
An ECA since 22 November 2007; the limit was 1.00% until the end of 2014.
Baltic Sea
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 January 2015The Baltic Sea, the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, and the Kattegat south of the Skaw (57°44.8'N).
The first ECA, since 19 May 2006; the limit was 1.00% until the end of 2014.
North America
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 January 2015Up to 200 nautical miles off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the US and Canada, the US Gulf of Mexico coast, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and the eight main Hawaiian islands. Western Alaska and the Aleutians are not included.
An ECA since 1 August 2012; 0.10% since 1 January 2015. California adds its own rule within 24 nautical miles.
US Caribbean
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 January 2015The waters of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
An ECA since 1 January 2014; 0.10% since 1 January 2015.
Mediterranean Sea
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 May 2025The whole Mediterranean, from the Strait of Gibraltar (Cape Trafalgar to Cape Spartel) to the Dardanelles and the Suez Canal. The Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea are not included.
Canadian Arctic
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 March 2027All of Canada's Arctic waters, from the Beaufort Sea (137°W) to Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea north of 60°N, including Hudson Bay.
An ECA since 1 March 2026; the 0.10% limit applies from 1 March 2027, after a 12-month grace period.
Norwegian Sea
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 March 2027Norway's waters north of 62°N, up to the Russian border. The waters around Svalbard and Jan Mayen are outside it.
An ECA since 1 March 2026; the 0.10% limit applies from 1 March 2027, after a 12-month grace period.
North-East Atlantic
IMO Emission Control Area		0.10%1 September 2028Up to 200 nautical miles off Greenland, Iceland, the Faroes, Ireland, the west of mainland Britain (including the Irish Sea), and the Atlantic coasts of France, Spain and Portugal. The waters around the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands are not included.
Adopted in May 2026. The ECA enters into force on 1 September 2027; the 0.10% limit applies from 1 September 2028.
EU ports, at berth
National or port rule		0.10%1 January 2010Ships at berth in any EU port.
Does not apply to ships due to stay less than two hours according to published timetables, or to ships that switch off all engines and use shore power. The EU's outermost regions (the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and the French overseas departments) are exempt from the directive's sulphur limits: check local rules there.
California
National or port rule		0.10%, distillate only1 January 2014Within 24 nautical miles of the California coast and islands.
A California rule (CARB) that applies on top of the North American ECA. Shown simplified on the map.
China, coastal waters
National or port rule		0.50%1 January 2019China's territorial sea and ports (domestic emission control area).
China said it would study a 0.10% limit for its whole coast from 2025. At our last check (October 2026) the coastal limit was still 0.50%.
China, Hainan
National or port rule		0.10%1 January 2022The coastal waters of Hainan.
Shown simplified on the map.
China, Yangtze and Xijiang rivers
National or port rule		0.10%1 January 2020China's inland river control areas on the Yangtze and the Xijiang (western Pearl River).
South Korea, five port areas
National or port rule		0.10%1 January 2022Incheon, Pyeongtaek-Dangjin, Yeosu-Gwangyang, Busan and Ulsan: about 20 nautical miles around each port.
Türkiye, ports
National or port rule		0.10%In forceTurkish ports and internal waters, for ships staying more than two hours at berth or at anchor.
Ships passing through the Turkish Straits without calling at a Turkish port are exempt, as long as the transit, including waiting at anchor, does not exceed two hours.
Iceland, coastal waters
National or port rule		0.10%1 January 2020Iceland's territorial sea and internal waters, including fjords and bays.
From 1 September 2028 all of Iceland's waters are in the North-East Atlantic ECA.

What to burn in a 0.10% zone

The rule is about the sulphur that reaches the air, not about one product. In an Emission Control Area a ship can burn MGO / LSMGO, ULSFO or any other fuel with no more than 0.10% sulphur, LNG, or keep burning higher-sulphur fuel through an approved scrubber, where local washwater rules allow it. California is the exception: within 24 nautical miles only distillate fuel counts.

The changeover must be finished before the ship enters the zone, following a written procedure, with the quantity of compliant fuel on board and the date, time and position recorded in the logbook.

About this map

  • The outer limits of the ECAs are drawn from the official IMO coordinates (MARPOL Annex VI, appendix VII, and MARPOL Annex II for the Norwegian Sea). The California and Hainan areas are simplified, and dots mark rules that apply around a port or along a river.
  • For the North-East Atlantic, the boundary is the text proposed and adopted at MEPC 84 (May 2026); the IMO's certified resolution was not yet published when we checked.
  • Every date and rule was checked against at least three independent sources in October 2026. Rules change: always check the regulations that apply to your voyage, or ask us. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Sources

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