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  The Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) announced that the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (Tokyo MOU) on Port State Control has published its latest annual maritime performance report in May 19th. Taiwan has once again been included in the whitelisted countries—a recognition it has now received for eight consecutive years. Notably, Taiwan’s ranking has improved, rising from 14th place last year to 6th this year, marking the highest position it has ever attained. In addition, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently published its own annual report, in which Taiwan was recognized as a high-performing flag state with a zero-detention record for national vessels.

The Tokyo MOU is one of the major international cooperative frameworks for port state control, covering inspections of foreign-flagged vessels arriving in ports within the Asia-Pacific region. Its primary objective is to eliminate the risks to maritime safety and marine pollution posed by substandard ships. As Taiwan falls within the jurisdiction of the Tokyo MOU, the performance scores issued by this body serve as a key indicator of the management quality of Taiwan’s national fleet; therefore, the Tokyo MOU performance is a key indicator of the management efficiency of Taiwanese-flagged vessels. Furthermore, as the world’s largest economy, the United States engages in frequent maritime trade with countries around the globe. The USCG has developed its own vessel inspection and evaluation system, which operates independently of other port state control organizations. Foreign vessels visiting U.S. ports are randomly inspected by the USCG based on a risk assessment criterion of the vessels.

     Director General Hsieh-lung Yeh emphasized that maritime transport is crucial to Taiwan’s economic development. The MPB has actively prioritized issues such as the navigational safety and environmental compliance of Taiwan-flagged ships operating in global waters, as well as environmental protection. The MPB continues to promote the domestic implementation of various International Maritime Organization conventions, thereby enhancing the management effectiveness of Taiwan’s national fleet and fulfilling international responsibilities through concrete actions. Looking ahead, the MPB will continue collaborating with reputable domestic shipping operators and the CR Classification Society to sustain Taiwan’s outstanding performance under both the Tokyo MOU and the USCG frameworks, jointly enhancing the international competitiveness of Taiwan’s maritime sector.

Contact Person: Section Chief Yu-hsin Huang, Vessel Management Division

Contact Number: +886-2-89782625