Submitted by the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance

On September 20, 2017, the President of the United States issued Executive Order (EO) 13810, titled “Imposing Additional Sanctions With Respect to North Korea,” which promulgates a broad range of economic sanctions on North Korea.

The U.S. Coast Guard would like to highlight Section 2 of the EO for the maritime industry. Section 2 specifically states, “No vessel in which a foreign person has an interest that has called at a port in North Korea within the previous 180 days, and no vessel in which a foreign person has an interest that has engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer with such a vessel within the previous 180 days, may call at a port in the United States.” The prohibition applies except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the effective date of this order.

We are aware that the Department of Treasury issued General License Number 10 – Calling of Certain Vessels and Landing of Certain Aircraft Authorized (September 21, 2017). Visit the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) website for more information. Questions about licensing and OFAC related guidance can be directed to their Licensing Division: (202) 622-2480 or Hotline: (202) 622-2490.

Shipping agents and other maritime stakeholders that have identified a vessel in transit that falls into one of the categories listed above are advised to contact their local Captain of the Port (COTP) to avoid potential delays or disruption to commerce. Coast Guard Sector and MSU office phone numbers, email addresses, and other port related information can be found on the U.S. Coast Guard Homeport website under the Port Directory tab. 

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.