Many of the largest flag states—including the Marshall Islands, Hong Kong (China), Singapore as well as the Bahamas and Cyprus—continue to perform to an exceptionally high standard, with traditional flags and open registers performing equally well, according to the International Chamber of Shipping's (ICS) recently published Flag State Performance Table (2020/2021).
"The table clearly indicates that distinctions between 'traditional' flags and open registers are no longer meaningful. Alongside several European registers, and flags such as Japan, we have seen many open registers amongst the very top performers," said ICS Secretary General, Guy Platten.
Among the 10 largest ship registers (by dead weight tonnage), covering more than 70% of the world fleet, none have more than two indicators of potentially negative performance, and five have no negative indicators at all.
"There is still a number of smaller flag states that have a lot of work to do to considerably enhance their performance, and shipowners should consider very carefully the prospect of using these flags, which may be perceived to be sub-standard," Platten said.
Available for free from the ICS website, the Flag State Performance Table provides an indicator of the performance of individual flag states worldwide. It analyzes how included countries deliver against a number of criteria such as Port State Control (PSC) records, ratification of international maritime Conventions and attendance at International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings.