The strategy, Blue Growth for a Green Future, includes a revised net wage scheme and relaxed cabotage rules governing foreign shortsea shipping, foreign-going ferries and the Norwegian continental shelf.

More than 20 ships are expected to be  registered by Norwegian owners as a result of the changes.

“Relaxing the cabotage rules will open the door to more ships under the Norwegian flag,” said Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA) chief executive Sturla Henriksen.