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Liberia Maritime Clarifies US Coast Guard Advisory Note

February 01, 2019 6028

The Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) has said that the Advisory given to the US Coast Guard by the US Department of Homeland Security regarding restrictions of vessels entering US waters from certain ports in several countries, including Liberia, is not a downgrade of Liberia’s port operations.
LiMA clarified that the October 15, 2018 Advisory only relate to compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code issued by IMO in 2002, which became effective in 2004.

 

It said in a release issued in Monrovia on Monday that the Advisory included various countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and The Gambia, among others.
On January 21, the LiMA release said, the Globe Afrique website reported under the caption “U.S. Department of Homeland Security Imposes Restrictions on Vessels from Liberia” and insinuated that the restrictions were based on vessels coming from Iraq to Liberia coupled with Liberian businesses that were on sanction.
Quoting the report, LiMA furthered that it indicated that vessels from ports in Liberia, especially the Free Port of Monrovia, were under restrictions, saying that “nothing could be farthest from the truth. In fact, the report specifically stated that the Freeport of Monrovia was an exception to the restrictions.”
“Liberia’s premier port, the Freeport of Monrovia (IMO Port Number LRMLW-0001), is not affected by this restriction issued by the US Department of Homeland Security to the US Coast Guard,” the release stated.
Among other clarifications, the LiMA release stated that the report does not link to vessels flying the Liberian flag, but rather to vessels leaving from the Buchanan, Greenville and Harper ports.
It said, among other things, that the report specifically related to ISPS compliance and has nothing to do with vessels coming from Iraq; sanction on Liberian companies; or missing money.

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Last modified on Friday, 17 April 2020 12:35