Republic of the Marshall Islands achieves 22 Consecutive Years of QUALSHIP 21 Recognition

RESTON (VIRGINIA): The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry’s long-term and consistent commitment to high quality shipping continues to be recognized by the international community. The recently released United States Coast Guard (USCG) 2025 Port State Control (PSC) Annual Report recognizes the RMI as a qualifying jurisdiction for the 22nd consecutive year. The RMI is the only one of the world’s three largest registries to achieve QUALSHIP 21 for this year, and the only registry in the world to achieve 22 consecutive years. The RMI Registry represents the highest number of QUALSHIP 21-qualified vessels worldwide.

“Excellence is achieved through teamwork with our owners and operators,” commented Bill Gallagher, President of International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry. “This milestone reflects the professionalism and dedication of our team, our fleet, and our partners, who work each day to uphold the highest standards of safety and operational excellence. This commitment to excellence guides every decision we make.”

IRI continues to enhance the RMI fleet’s access to technical resources that support a strong future. Specialized teams, digital solutions, and strong relationships with global PSC authorities and coastal States support informed decision making.

“The Registry’s consistently outstanding global PSC record reflects the culture of safety across the RMI fleet and a commitment to excellence from our owners and operators,” noted Brian Poskaitis, IRI’s Senior Vice President, Fleet Operations. “We engage with owners and operators of RMI-flagged vessels, as well as other stakeholders including Classification Societies and PSC authorities in the interest of maritime safety and to ensure the Registry’s resources and support are available and accessible no matter the challenge.”

This year’s achievement may hold added significance under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Pub. L. 119-60), which was signed into law in December 2025. Division G, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, Section 7312, Performance Driven Examination Schedule, authorizes the USCG to consider QUALSHIP 21 status when assessing vessels in a new performance-driven examination regime.

The RMI’s outstanding PSC record continues to reflect the Registry’s commitment to safe operations at sea. In addition to 22 consecutive years on the USCG’s QUALSHIP 21 roster, the RMI remains whitelisted with the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums of Understanding and has a favorable rating with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The RMI Registry included 6,295 vessels as of 30 April 2026 and nearly 210 million quality gross tons. As of 13 May 2026, RMI-flagged vessels represent 30.8% of vessels enrolled in QUALSHIP 21 and 33.0% of all vessels achieving USCG E-ZERO status.