The Panama Maritime Administration (PMA) has officially canceled the registration of these tankers, which are flagged under the Panamanian flag, under international sanctions imposed by the United States, Great Britain, and the European Union. In addition, another 18 tankers are undergoing registration cancellation procedures at the moment.
This cancellation of vessel registrations is carried out in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 512 of October 18th, 2024, which grants the PMA authority to unilaterally cancel registrations of vessels included on international sanctions lists.
“The Panamanian Government enacted Executive Decree No. 512, enabling the immediate deregistration of ships whose owners or vessels appear on the international sanctions lists specified in the decree,” noted the PMA.
In order to prevent vessels at high risk of being sanctioned from being included in the Panama registry, the country’s authorities have strengthened pre-registration process. Now authorities are evaluating not only technical criteria of a vessel, but also biography and operational history of their owner and operator.
