N. Korean ships spurn certificates??
"BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!"
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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| N. Korean ships spurn certificates |
| 2005-02-21 |
| Only 16 of about 100 North Korean ships that dock in Japan have applied to the central government for a certificate of insurance to cover any damage caused by oil spills in line with the new law banning uninsured foreign ships from March 1, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Saturday. If uninsured, the remaining ships will not be allowed to dock here. Sources say the measure will be a de facto economic sanction on North Korea, which has failed to cooperate in resolving the abduction of Japanese citizens. According to the Construction and Transport Ministry, which processes applications for insurance under the soon-to-be-enforced Marine Oil Pollution Compensation Guarantee Law, only 2.5 percent of North Korean ships held insurance as of 2003. Because the certification process takes more than two weeks, there is expected to be a significant decrease in the arrival of North Korean ships in early March. The central government and local governments have recently had to meet the cost of removing uninsured foreign ships that have run aground in Japan. As a result, the law guaranteeing oil pollution compensation related to tankers was revised to ban foreign vessels 100 gross registered tons or larger unless they carry sufficient insurance. In response to applications by ship owners, each district transport bureau examines the insurers' capacity to pay claims and ship owners' capacity to pay insurance premiums. Since Dec. 1 last year, applications have been made for 600-plus ships. North Korean ships account for nearly 20 percent of those making port in Japan. The Man Gyong Bon-92 cargo-passenger ship has not applied for a certificate. The number of applications increased over February, so there could now be an increase in North Korean ships applying. But according to shipping sources many of North Korean ships are old and their insurance premiums are expensive, making it unlikely there will be a rapid increase in applications. The result is likely to be a downturn in North Korean exports to Japan. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #5 prolly stopping in for food, phil |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-21 2:25:32 PM |
| #4 North Korean ships account for nearly 20 percent of those making port in Japan. Even if most of them are fishing vessels selling their catch thats a lot of trade with NK, far more than I realized. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-02-21 2:23:03 PM |
| #3 N. Korean ships spurn certificates?? "BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES!" |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-02-21 11:46:36 AM |
| #2 Trading with North Korea...crazy thought but I suppose someone has to do it. Too bad I didn't know that when I was in Japan...I would have made a point to get some "Made in DPRK" merchandise. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-02-21 11:02:45 AM |
| #1 The result is likely to be a downturn in North Korean exports to Japan. only the legal ones.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-21 10:59:41 AM |