US Virgin Islands involved in US international ship registry proposal, governor says
Source: Reuters
May 12, 2025 6:53 AM EDT Updated 11 hours ago
LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is involved in a proposal that aims to create a US international ship registry domiciled in the U.S. territory, the island's governor said.
President Donald Trump's administration is considering the proposal as part of efforts to enlarge the tiny commercial shipping fleet flying the American flag, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters last week.
Using the USVI could be the most efficient way to "strengthen American maritime posture" because the island territory could provide a U.S.-controlled flag without the costly restrictions associated with a straight U.S. flag registration, according to Eric Dawicki, president of the Center for Ocean Policy and Economics research body, which submitted the proposal to U.S. officials.
"We have been working with Eric R. Dawicki on this project for a while now. This is an innovative solution to strengthen American shipping," USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said in a LinkedIn post on Saturday. Bryan's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-virgin-islands-involved-us-international-ship-registry-proposal-governor-says-2025-05-12/
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