The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) has mandated the United States Coast Guard to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures in foreign ports and to impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving to the United States from countries that do not maintain effective anti-terrorism measures.

The Coast Guard evaluated the anti-terrorism measures in Yemen.  Previously, three ports in Yemen, i.e., the Ash Shihr Terminal, the Port of Hodeidah and the Balhaf LNG Terminal were exempted from the conditions of entry. The Coast Guard, however, now has decided that the Ash Shihr Terminaland the Port of Hodeidah were no longer maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures and, therefore, that conditions of entry were imposed to vessels arriving to the United States on or after 8 April 2015 from all ports in Yemen except for the Balhaf LNG Terminal as one of their last five ports of call.  The details of the required actions and the list of the countries which are subject to conditions of entry can be found in the attached “Port Security Advisory (1-15)” dated 25 March,2015 issued by the USCG.

Members, whose vessels arriving to the United States after calling the countries listed in the Port Security Advisory, are recommended to consult with the local agents about the required measures mentioned in the section C and D of the Port Security Advisory so that they are not  involved in any unnecessary troubles.