The Panama Maritime Authority has issued the Merchant Marine Circular MMC-380 on measures to reduce the number of PSC detentions and to improve the performance of Panamanian vessels.

With this update, provisions for an occasional survey equivalent to an annual survey by the RO that issued the SMC of the vessel have been added as a preventive measure. The scope of "occasional survey" is defined in paragraph 4.12 of the MMC-380.

According to paragraph 6 of the MMC-380, this occasional survey must be carried out before or at the time of arrival at a port in the United States, a Paris MOU member country, Australia, or China.

The following vessels are subject to the occasional survey:

1. Each vessel required by the Panama Maritime Authority based on PSC results in the last twenty-four (24) months, regardless of its age
2. Each vessel older than fifteen (15) years of construction and considered with a high risk factor by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Paris MOU and the Tokyo MOU

A vessel with the SMC issued by ClassNK which falls under any of the above and which is bound for or has arrived at a port in the United States, a Paris MOU member country, Australia or China is requested to undergo an occasional survey in accordance with MMC-380.

For more information, please refer to MMC-380 which is posted on the following website.
https://panamashipregistry.com/circulars/measurements-to-reduce-psc-detentions-and-improve-the-performance-on-panamanian-vessels/

For any questions about the above, please contact:

NIPPON KAIJI KYOKAI (ClassNK)
Survey Department, Administration Center Annex, Head Office
Address: 3-3 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan
Tel.: +81-3-5226-2027 / 2028
Fax: +81-3-5226-2029
E-mail: svd@classnk.or.jp