US to deny unsafe, substandard ships port entry

THE US Coast Guard has published a policy letter outlining procedures for denying entry of certain foreign-flagged commercial vessels into any port or place in the United States, owing to the vessel having a history of operating in a "continuous substandard condition" in US waters.

The policy went into effect on September 1, reports American Shipper, citing a Federal Register notice. The coast guard said it occasionally intercepts vessels entering US waters that "consistently demonstrate a substandard condition, and thus fail to comply with the requirements found in international conventions and domestic regulations," the report said.


According to the US Coast Guard this new policy to ban foreign vessels deemed unseaworthy should provide a systematic approach to addressing these vessels. It added that the coast guard is aligned with other countries that have signed the UN`s International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.


The US Coast Guard will continue to screen, prioritise and coordinate all foreign vessel exams in accordance with existing policies, it said.


In the event a vessel has been detained three or more times a 12 month period, and it is "determined by the coast guard`s foreign and offshore vessels division (CG-5432) that failure to effectively implement a safety management system was a contributing factor for the substandard condition or conditions that led to the detentions, the vessel will be denied entry into any US port or place until specified actions are completed to the coast guard`s satisfaction," the report added.