FLAGGING STANDARDS — GLOBALIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY, AND LABOR REGULATIONS AT SEA

Nowadays, it is one of the true facts about the maritime industry that the vessels compete for the business by making their best trying to keep the operating costs at a very minimum. Ship registries are competing for the registrations with policies promising low costs, by keeping the fees and taxes low - same applies to the regulatory requirements.

This situation mirrors broader trends in globalization. In a world of freer trade, as Miles Kahler points out, more and more state policies have come to be seen as "disguised protectionism" or so-called non-tariff barriers; the concern has actually arisen about demands that they would better be removed to support trade without obstacles.

And, a slightly nuanced variation of subject concern is that, rather than forcing standards downward, globalization would cause them to fail to rise when they otherwise should; the economic disadvantages in a globalized world to being the very first state to increase the environmental regulation will definitely prevent states from doing so.

Lyuba Zarsky refers to the above stated process as being "stuck in the mud." This book will give you all required information about these aspects to keep you in a loop with the latest trends of the shipping industry.