UAE Bans Cameroon-flagged Tankers Amid Rising Safety Concerns

The United Arab Emirates has banned Cameroonian flag vessels from entering its seas. The action aims to distance the emirate from vessels transporting prohibited oil, especially parts of Russia’s vast covert tanker fleet.

The Cameroonian flag has been added to a restricted list, per a circular released by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and posted on the Port of Fujairah website. It is advised that shipping agencies and maritime firms only offer services to Cameroonian-registered vessels if they have been evaluated and authorised by a more comprehensive international classification organisation.

This action is meant to reduce the possible risks associated with vessels that might not follow international safety regulations. Many merchant ships are usually flown under flags not affiliated with the nations they are registered or owned. The most common choices include the Marshall Islands and Panama, which are essential to upholding maritime safety regulations.

The background of these restrictions includes Russia’s calculated reaction to US sanctions, which resulted in building a sizable tanker fleet to guarantee the country’s oil supply. A few of these ships started flying less well-known flags, such as the Cameroonian flag. As of mid-last year, Cameroon was classified as having an extremely high risk of vessels failing safety inspections when called at ports.

Even though there aren’t many oil tankers registered in Cameroon, many have been involved in transporting Russian oil. Industry data from Bloomberg indicates that 11 of the 14 Cameroon-flagged oil vessels small enough to collect oil from Russian ports have done so in the last 12 months. Still, less than 1% of Russia’s overall oil supplies come from these vessels.

Reference: EnergyVoice

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Source: Maritime Shipping News