Bryan signs agreement with Northeast Maritime Institute on U.S. Virgin Islands ship registry plan

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. signed a memorandum of understanding with the Northeast Maritime Institute in Washington on Feb. 1, 2022, on a maritime initiative aimed at making the U.S. Virgin Islands the first international open ship registry in the United States.

The agreement was signed during Bryan’s trip to Washington for the National Governors Association conference and meetings with federal officials.

According to the Government House statement, the initiative was part of a broader "Revitalization Plan for US Maritime Trade, Commerce and Strategic Competition" developed with the Northeast Maritime Institute, a private maritime college. The plan also called for development of a short-sea transshipment hub in the Caribbean, public-private and international maritime partnerships, a green shipping strategy, a maritime venture capital fund, and expanded maritime education and training.

Government House said the territory’s exemption from the Jones Act positioned the U.S. Virgin Islands to serve as an international open registry port.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-signs-agreement-with-northeast-maritime-institute-for-usvi-to-become-nations-first-international-open-ship-registry/