US lifts 12-year restrictions on Nigerian vessels
The US Coast Guard has lifted the Condition of Entry (CoE) regime of additional security requirements for Nigerian vessels calling at US ports. The restrictions had been in effect for 12 years. The US side stated that the decision could reduce carriers’ costs, shorten vessel processing times and make sailing schedules between Nigeria and the United States more reliable.
US Coast Guard decision
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, US Africa affairs official Frank Garcia, in a letter dated August 26 to Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, welcomed the US Coast Guard’s decision to lift restrictions on Nigerian-flagged vessels calling at US ports.
According to Garcia, the lifting of the restrictions resulted from Nigeria’s long-term strengthening of port security and compliance with counterterrorism requirements. The letter also stated that this would reduce security-related requirements and costs for vessels operating between the two countries.
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How Condition of Entry worked
Nigeria’s Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy said that the United States lifted the CoE, introduced in 2014, last month. This regime required vessels bound for the United States to undergo additional security checks if, among their five previous port calls, they had visited designated Nigerian ports.
Adegboyega Oyetola said that lifting the CoE ended a 12-year period of enhanced requirements for vessels calling at Nigerian ports. According to him, Nigerian ports will be able to compete more effectively for international maritime transport, while shipping companies on routes between Nigeria and the United States may benefit from lower costs and fewer procedural requirements.
