Liberian flag added to QUALSHIP 21

The Liberian flag has been included in the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) roster for 2019-2020. QS21 recognizes vessels and flag states which have successfully met specified safety and quality requirements and regulations when calling at ports in the United States.

Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian Registry, notes, “We are very pleased to have made the QS21 roster. It is recognition for the many years of work that we, our clients, ship managers, and masters and crew have put into safety training and meeting environmental standards. We have a great team of dedicated staff - good people with at-sea experience - who are working closely with vessels on compliance as they come into the US.”

To qualify for QS21, flag administrations must have a three-year Port State Control (PSC) detention ratio of less than 1.00% and be credited with 10+ PSC exams per year for the last three years. QS21 status brings advantages to vessels visiting the US. Liberia and eight other maritime nations were all new additions to the QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) & E-ZERO list this year.

Alfonso Castillero says, “The number of new additions to QS21 in 2019-2020 is fantastic recognition of the work that maritime administrations, owners, and crew have put into safety initiatives. It is also testament to the efforts of the US Coast Guard, who are often overlooked when it comes to handing out praise.

“Inclusion in QUALSHIP 21 is a great achievement for any flag, and the wider industry should celebrate the number of states making the USCG’s grade.”

The Liberian Registry has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive and innovative service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment. www.liscr.com

USCG report confirms Liberian Registry’s stellar PSC record

The Liberian Registry has seen a 62 percent reduction in vessel detentions in the United States over the past three years and, for the fifteenth year in a row, is not among those flags targeted by the US Coast Guard (USCG).

Alfonso Castillero, CCO of the Liberian Registry, says, “Despite efforts made by other flags to confuse the industry, the USCG 2017 Annual Performance Report for Port State Control (PSC) makes it clear that, far from being targeted by the US Coast Guard, Liberia continues to provide effective, quality compliance solutions for its fleet. Liberia is not on the list of USCG-targeted vessels.”

The Liberian Registry continues to improve its PSC performance year after year, and currently has the fourth most vessels of any flag state enrolled in the USCG’s Qualship 21 programme. In addition, it is White-Listed by the Paris MoU and the Tokyo MoU. Indeed, it had the lowest detention rate of all major flags (1.67%) in the 2017 Paris MoU. It has also recorded a 20% reduction in detentions over the last three years under the Tokyo MoU, thanks to a 2% detention ratio change during that period which is the is the biggest positive increase among all major flags in the Tokyo MOU.

In China, meanwhile, Liberia has achieved a 41% reduction in detentions thus far in 2018 compared to last year and is the only major flag able to show a decrease in detentions over the past three years in China. Finally, in Australia, there has been a 49% reduction in detentions of Liberian-flag ships over the last three years and a 6.4% detention ratio change over that period which is the biggest positive increase of all major flags in Australia.

Alfonso Castillero says, “With the use of a fully staffed Risk Assessment Department at its US head office, and an automated LRIT-based Compliance Assistance Program, the Liberian Registry works with its clients to ensure that their vessels are well-prepared for port calls in the world’s high-focus jurisdictions, and that any issues are properly reported and addressed.

“This is one reason why the registry has seen such an impressive increase in growth recently. Owners have benefited tangibly from Liberia’s SeaSafe System and Compliance Assistance Program, without additional cost, and this has helped us expand into new markets. For example, last year we were the fastest growing flag in South Korea, a new and expanding market for us. In China we have had opened three new offices simply to keep up with demand. And value-added services such as SeaSafe help us maintain our position as the largest open registry in Greece.

“The Liberian Registry continues to invest in improving and maintaining quality, working closely with owners and managers to keep their vessels operating safely and efficiently. Out Port State Control record shows how effectively this is working, both in the US and elsewhere around the world.”


The Liberian Registry has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive and innovative service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment www.liscr.com

Liberia’s commitment to quality recognised by Qualship admittance

THE Liberian Registry has been admitted to the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP programme for 2011/2012, providing further independent verification of its commitment to the highest standards of safety and quality.

The QUALSHIP(Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) programme is a quality incentive programme to which only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted, based on the excellence of their port state control record. The USCG developed Qualship 21 to provide an incentive for well-run, quality ships and ship operators. Designated ships are recognised and rewarded by the USCG for their commitment to safety and quality.

In admitting Liberia to the programme, the US Coast Guard congratulated Liberia on its “exceptional commitment to quality”, and highlighted its “excellent” detention ratio. The Liberian fleet is the largest register recognised by Qualship 21.

Scott Bergeron, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “This recognition of Liberia’s commitment to quality shipping is all the more significant because it comes at a time of major expansion for the registry. The Liberian-flag fleet has more than doubled in size since LISCR assumed management control in 2000, and now stands at 3,570 ships totalling 115 million gross tons.

“Qualship 21 recognition provides further confirmation of Liberia’s pre-eminent position in terms of safety and quality-driven shipping. This is good news for the ever-increasing numbers of shipowners who operate their ships under the Liberian flag. Any register can grow in size, but to do so while maintaining the highest standards of safety is more difficult, and must be the aim of any responsible ship registry.”

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records. www.liscr.com