Shipowners at a New York forum described the need to comply with the looming IMO 2020 rule as "solvable" ahead of the 1 January 2020 deadline.

"I think this is a significant disruption but I think this is one shipowners can handle'," Eagle Bulk Shipping chief executive Gary Vogel said.

He said burning IMO 2020 compliant fuel is the "default" to follow the pending law, though his New York-listed bulker owner is among shipowners installing exhaust gas scrubbers.