Open v. National

A recent Lloyd's List article suggests that the International Transport Workers Federation may be developing its understanding of the relationship between registry type and quality.

A recent Lloyd's List article suggests that the International Transport Workers Federation may be developing its understanding of the relationship between registry type and quality.

Romania has established an international ship registry to be managed by a German-owned company.

The Romanian International Flag Administration (Rifa) will be led by Albrecht Gundermann, who has also led the Liberian Registry's German branch.

The examination of national and open registries continues in a recent LinkedIn discussion.

Maritime Professional leading commentator Joseph Keefe has drawn upon his experience to examine the effectiveness of the Paris MoU list as an indicator of flag state quality and develop conclusions based on his findings.

Our response to Klaus Luhta's "Shades of Gray - Maritime Edition."

The OGSR has learned of an editorial by maritime lawyer Klaus Luhta, “Shades of Gray – Maritime Edition,” which we expect you have likely by now seen as well.

The Faroese Maritime Authority has released a statement in response to the ITF's classification of the registry as a "flag of convenience" in November. The statement further affirms the ISRR's viewpoint that common assumptions about the relationship between type of registry and performance are often misconceived. The release explains well the complex nature of the industry poorly captured by the idea of "flags of convenience."

In the latest development to United States maritime policy, Congressman Steve Cohen has re-proposed the American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act – a bill that would require offshore vessels drilling in U.S. waters to be nationally flagged.

Scott Bergeron of the Liberian Registry emphasizes that investing in a flag state with a caliber record will reduce likelihood of shipowner costs in the long term and addresses issues the maritime registry community faces today.