US Conditions of Entry for Vessels from Nigeria

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has announced that it will impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving from the Federal Republic of Nigeria (excluding vessels arriving from certain ports) with effect from June 26, GAC reported in its daily Hot Port News Report.

The USCG is authorised to impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving in U.S. waters from ports that it has not found to maintain effective antiterrorism measures. Ports in the Federal Republic of Nigeria were found to not be maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures, with certain exceptions.

Ports for which the conditions do not apply are:
APP Apapa Bulk Terminal (IMO Port No.NGAPP–0009) APP AP Moller Terminal (IMO Port No.NGAPP–0001) APP Greenview Terminal (IMO Port No.NGAPP–0004) BON Bonny River Terminal (IMO Port No.NGBON–0001) BON NLGN Bonny Terminal (IMO Port No.NGBON–0002) BON SPDC Bonny Offshore Terminal (IMO Port No.NG663–001) CBQ FSO YOHO (Exxon Mobile) (IMO Port No.NG638–0001) CBQ Logistics Base (IMO Port No.NGCBQ–0001) CBQ McIver Wharf (IMO Port No.NGCBQ–0004) CBQ Port Terminal A (IMO Port No.NGCBQ–0002) CBQ QIT BOP (IMO Port No.NGOBO–0001) ESC Escra BOP (IMO Port No.NGESC–0001) ESC LPG–FSO (IMO Port No.NGESC–0003) FOR Forcados Offshore Terminal (IMO Port No.NGFOR–0001) ONN FLT (IMO Port No.NGONN–0005) ONN FOT (IMO Port No.NGONN–0006) TIN Dantata MRS Terminal (IMO Port No.NGTIN–0003) TIN FSL (IMO Port No.NGTIN–0013) TIN P&CH Terminal C (IMO Port No.NGTIN–0011) TIN PTML Terminal E (IMO Port No.NGTIN–0010) TIN Snake Island Integrated Free Zone (IMO Port No.NGTIN–0001) TIN TICT Terminal B (IMO Port No.NGTIN–0009)

Beginning June 26, 2014, the below conditions of entry will apply to any vessel that visited a non-excepted Nigerian port in its last five port calls.

Each vessel must:
1) Implement measures per the vessel's security plan equivalent to Security Level 2 while in a port in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As defined in the ISPS Code and incorporated herein, "Security Level 2" refers to the "level for which appropriate additional protective security measures shall be maintained for a period of time as a result of heightened risk of a security incident."

2) Ensure that each access point to the vessel is guarded and that the guards have total visibility of the exterior (both landside and waterside) of the vessel while the vessel is in ports in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

3) Guards may be provided by the vessel's crew; however, additional crew members should be placed on the vessel if necessary to ensure that limits on maximum hours of work are not exceeded and/or minimum hours of rest are met, or provided by outside security forces approved by the vessel's master and Company Security Officer. As defined in the ISPS Code and incorporated herein, "Company Security Officer" refers to the "person designated by the Company for ensuring that a ship security assessment is carried out; that a ship security plan is developed, submitted for approval, and thereafter implemented and maintained and for liaison with port facility security officers and the ship security officer."

4) Attempt to execute a Declaration of Security while in a port in the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

5) Log all security actions in the vessel's security records;

6) Report actions taken to the cognizant Coast Guard Captain of the Port
(COTP) prior to arrival into U.S. waters.

7) In addition, based on the findings of the Coast Guard boarding or examination, the vessel may be required to ensure that each access point to the vessel is guarded by armed, private security guards and that they have total visibility of the exterior (both landside and waterside) of the vessel while in U.S. ports. The number and position of the guards has to be acceptable to the cognizant COTP prior to the vessel's arrival.

According to GAC, he following countries are subject to conditions of entry to U.S. waters:
Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Syria, Timor-Leste, Venezuela and Yemen.

gac.com