US Virgin Islands ship registry plan will strengthen US shipping, governor says

By Jonathan Saul

LONDON (Reuters) - A connection to make a caller planetary U.S. vessel registry domiciled successful the U.S. Virgin Islands aligns with President Donald Trump's efforts to fortify the country's maritime manufacture and has enactment from the territory, its politician said.

President Donald Trump's medication is considering the connection arsenic portion of efforts to enlarge the tiny commercialized shipping fleet flying the American flag, sources acquainted with the substance told Reuters past week.

Using the USVI could beryllium the astir businesslike mode to "strengthen American maritime posture" due to the fact that it could supply a U.S.-controlled emblem without the costly restrictions associated with a consecutive U.S. emblem registration, according to Eric Dawicki, president of the Center for Ocean Policy and Economics probe body, which submitted the connection to U.S. officials.

The connection was initially presented to the USVI's medication by Dawicki immoderate 2 years ago, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. told Reuters successful emailed comments.

"He (Dawicki) offered america a accidental to enactment successful a caller thought and (we) thought it was 1 worthy pursuing," Bryan said.

"He has been moving hard to get this inaugural connected the radar of Washington and it seems helium has succeeded."

White House officials did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Dawicki antecedently co-founded the Dominica emblem registry.

Increasing the fig of U.S.-flagged vessels is important for Trump's medication due to the fact that it would heighten the quality of the U.S. commercialized shipping fleet to supply logistical enactment for the subject successful clip of war, and easiness Washington's dependence connected overseas ships to transport supplies and instrumentality crossed oversea lanes.

"The inaugural makes consciousness and is successful alignment with the Trump administration's inaugural to fortify American shipping," Bryan said.

"We are precise excited and look guardant to being capable to enactment this inaugural to its fruition."

In erstwhile conflicts, specified arsenic the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. relied upon foreign-flagged vessels to bolster shipping access.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)