Panama Maritime Authority celebrates return to Paris MoU White List, showcasing improved vessel standards and inspection reforms.
The Panama Maritime Authority announced that the country’s ship registry has been removed from the Gray List of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) and has re-entered the White List. Officials emphasized that this development is a significant result of efforts to maintain the highest standards for vessels operating under the Panama flag.
As one of the largest flag states in the world by the number of ships, Panama has implemented comprehensive reforms aimed at strengthening its registry system and improving inspection mechanisms following criticisms regarding substandard vessels and shadow fleet tankers in recent years.
The Paris MoU White List, which came into effect on July 1, is based on three years of inspection data covering the period from 2023 to 2025. The list is prepared based on the three-year average of the inspection and detention performance of flag states in Paris MoU member ports.
According to Panama’s data, a total of 57,312 port state inspections were conducted on Panama-flagged vessels between 2023 and 2025. During this process, 338 vessels were detained, with a detention rate recorded at 5.9%. This rate remained below the threshold of 7% set for inclusion in the Paris MoU White List.
Flag states listed on the White List represent fleets that demonstrate a high level of compliance with international maritime safety and security standards. This situation also positively impacts the frequency and scope of port state inspections.
Panamanian officials stated that the return to the White List is a result of a long-term strategy aimed at raising safety standards, increasing compliance with international conventions, and strengthening the inspection capacity of the Panama commercial fleet.
In this context, it was expressed that the preventive inspection program has been strengthened, mechanisms have been implemented to closely monitor vessels identified with deficiencies in past inspections, and flag state inspection methodologies have been updated.
Additionally, the preliminary examination process for vessels to be accepted into the Panama Ship Registry has been tightened, preventing the entry of vessels that do not meet international standards into the registry. Officials reported that the process for removing vessels that violate regulations from the registry has also been expedited, and flag cancellations have increased.
On the other hand, the Panama flag has come to the forefront due to political and commercial tensions between Panama and China in 2026. Claims that China targeted Panama-flagged vessels in response to Panama's cancellation of operating rights for CK Hutchison at the Balboa and Cristobal ports were denied by Beijing.
Chinese authorities argued that the increase in the number of Panama-flagged vessels detained in the country is not political but stems from those vessels being involved in accidents with fishing boats.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
