Panama-Flagged Ships Dominate China Detentions in Sudden March Spike

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – The number of Panama-flagged ships detained by China’s Port State Control soared in March, compared with February and January, according to The Loadstar’s analysis of the Tokyo MOU detention list.

The Tokyo MOU, formally known as the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region, comprises 22 maritime authorities in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as 17 observers, and publishes the most complete dataset of detentions in the area.

In March there were 179 vessel detentions under the Tokyo MOU, with 123 taking place in Chinese ports.

However, the number of Panamanian ships