Panama’s Maritime Authority announced on Monday that it has removed over 650 vessels from its registry since 2019 as part of an effort to comply with U.S. sanctions and enforce stricter regulations for the ships it registers.
The authority stated that 214 vessels have been removed from Panama’s registry, one of the world’s largest with over 8,500 ships, since it began implementing measures last year to expedite its ability to enforce sanctions.
Ships are prohibited from sailing under the Panamanian flag once they are removed from the registry.
Panama’s statement was a response to criticism from the non-governmental organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which last week accused Panama of not taking sufficient action against sanction violators. UANI urged Panama to “immediately cease facilitating Iran’s illicit oil trade” and withdraw its flag from all tankers transporting Iranian oil.
Read more:Togo to Fully Digitize SOTRAL Bus Ticket Purchases by 2026
According to UANI, nearly one in five vessels suspected of transporting Iranian oil sails under Panama’s flag.
“This is not just a failure of Panama’s registry. It’s a direct threat to global sanctions compliance and regional and U.S. security,” UANI stated.
Panama entered into an agreement in 2019 with other flag countries, including Liberia and the Marshall Islands, to share information about vessels whose registrations were canceled or rejected due to potential sanction violations. It also began implementing measures against ships that intentionally disable their transponders to avoid tracking.
In May, the authority announced that it would strengthen controls for ship-to-ship operations by Panama-flagged vessels, following an increase in the use of “dark-fleet” tankers to circumvent sanctions or evade environmental regulations.
The United States has been increasing pressure on countries with large vessel registries to assist in enforcing sanctions. Former U.S. President Donald Trump previously criticized the growth of a dark fleet of tankers transporting sanctioned oil and threatened to take over the Panama Canal.
The Panamanian Maritime Authority stated in its press release that the Central American nation is collaborating with the United States on its registry.
