The failure of the United States to ratify an international treaty pertaining to maritime issues is, unfortunately, nothing new. But the Senate’s failure to ratify the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 (MLC), arising out of the 94th session of the International Labor Conference held at Geneva that year, will not give American operators in foreign trade an excuse for failing to comply. Complications could certainly arise – translation: expensive delays – when a government official in a foreign port demands a certificate or other proof of compliance.