Will the US Coast Guard board all U.S. bound commercial vessels on or after July 1, 2004 to ensure compliance with the ISPS Code?
• A: Yes. The Coast Guard has acquired and trained over 500 additional Port State Control Officers and has stated that the agency will board every U.S. bound commercial vessel at least once within a 12 month period to ensure the vessel is ISPS certified and operating in accordance with the Code. Vessels that are not ISPS certified will be denied entry. Vessels that have not properly implemented the ISPS Code requirements on the vessel may be denied entry, detained until the discrepancy is corrected, or expelled from the United States.
