{"id":18355,"date":"2025-10-15T08:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seafarers.ca\/itf-report-national-flag-ships-vital-for-national-security\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T08:24:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:24:54","slug":"itf-report-national-flag-ships-vital-for-national-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seafarers.ca\/fr\/itf-report-national-flag-ships-vital-for-national-security\/","title":{"rendered":"ITF Report: National flag ships vital for national security"},"content":{"rendered":"

National security and strong national maritime policies go hand in hand<\/strong> \u2013 that is the message of the International Transport Workers\u2019 Federation\u2019s (ITF) new briefing on domestic maritime policies.<\/p>\n

Drawing on examples from Australia, Brazil, Canada and the USA, Domestic Maritime Policies: a Focus on National Security<\/em><\/a> outlines that national flag shipping and \u2018cabotage\u2019 \u2013 the reservation of a country\u2019s domestic maritime commerce for its own citizens \u2013 is vital for maintaining supply chain resilience and, in turn, national security.<\/p>\n

The importance of maritime cabotage policies is reflected in their wide uptake around the world. Seafarers\u2019 Rights International research published this month shows that 105 states, approximately 85% of the world\u2019s countries, currently have cabotage laws or policies in place \u2013 an increase on 91 countries in 2018.<\/p>\n

Chris Given<\/strong>, President of the Seafarers\u2019 International Union of Canada and the ITF Cabotage Task Force Chair, said: \u201cCabotage policies promote fair market competition, help ensure the retention of a qualified workforce, and create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply put, it is in our national interest to ensure that we can transport goods and people without reliance on a non-national carrier or a non-national workforce.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The ITF briefing outlines that in periods of crisis or conflict, maritime states must maintain a national fleet of vessels and trained seafarers to enable and support transportation operations.<\/p>\n

During the Covid-19 pandemic, reliance on non-national carriers impacted by changed shipping schedules, delays and freight rates only worsened severe supply chain disruption: national fleet capacity could have enabled impacted states to effectively operate autonomously.<\/p>\n

\u201cAutonomy over supply chains forms an integral part of any successful national economic and national security policy,\u201d said David Heindel<\/strong>, President of the Seafarers\u2019 International Union USA and Chair of the ITF Seafarers\u2019 Section.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe have always had a safeguard in both the USA and Canada in that our national shipping industries are bolstered through the Jones Act in the United States and the Coasting Trade Act in Canada: cabotage ensures that we are better equipped to weather these storms in times of disruption.\u00a0And, because they are a common-sense approach to ensuring that coastal nations retain the capacity to move their own goods and people, these policies are now the norm and not the exception.\u201d<\/p>\n

The briefing makes a number of recommendations to governments. These include considering cabotage and national flag fleets as critical to national security; ensuring that critical cargoes such as fuel, food and medical supplies can be transported by national flag vessels; ensuring that sufficient domestic tonnage and qualified labour is available for national flag ships to operate in periods of crisis; and a call to NATO members to strengthen their merchant navies.<\/p>\n

Download the full report here:<\/p>\n

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Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n