The Department of Merchant Shipping has issued a circular to owners, operators and managers of Cyprusflagged ships regarding measures to reverse the increasing trend of Cyprus ships being detained at US ports. The department has noted a continuous increase in the number of Cyprus-flagged ships being detained at US ports, despite its measures and actions to improve compliance. The department has noted that Cyprus is on the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Target List (safety), despite being on the Paris Memorandum of Understanding and the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding white lists.
In order to address this situation, the Department of Merchant Shipping has introduced the requirements that all Cyprus-flagged ships calling at US ports must email to the department:
- a copy of their notice of arrival at the same time as they send it to the USCG; and
- the prescribed safety and inspection checklist, signed by the ship's master and chief engineer, at least 24 hours before arrival at a US port.
These requirements will take effect on October 1 2016.
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