IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 463 
Condemning the illegal, international use of flag-of-convenience practices. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2025 
Mr. MOYLAN (for himself, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. CASE, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. 
GARAMENDI, and Mrs. RADEWAGEN) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the illegal, international use of flag-of- 
convenience practices. 
Whereas many flag-of-convenience ships are not under a 
binding contractual obligation to serve United States 
needs in emergencies, and this practice undermines the 
United States merchant marine fleet for the purposes of 
United States commerce and military auxiliary in time of 
war or national emergency; 
Whereas many flag-of-convenience ships may not be readily 
available or compliant during crises, despite being United 
States-owned, leaving the United States not fully pre-
pared for future threats, and moreover, flag-of-conven-
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ience ships may be caught between conflicting national 
interests, making their reliability in emergencies uncer-
tain; 
Whereas flag-of-convenience ships are often used to avoid tar-
iffs, sanctions, and other economic policies, and further-
more, it is unlikely that flag-of-convenience ships will 
transition back to the United States flag because of a 
lack of international oversight capacities and criminal op-
portunity; 
Whereas the lack of transparency in the global fishing sector, 
such as flag of convenience, is a key enabler of illegal, 
unreported, and unregulated fishing; 
Whereas the United States Coast Guard has identified illegal, 
unreported, and unregulated fishing as a main contrib-
utor to the collapse or decline of fisheries that are critical 
to the economic growth, food systems, and ecosystems of 
numerous countries around the world; 
Whereas flag-of-convenience practices threaten American 
maritime-related industries, like supporting illegal, unre-
ported, and unregulated fishing, which has cost the global 
seafood industry approximately $50,000,000,000 annu-
ally; 
Whereas the use of flag of convenience by fishing vessels im-
pairs detection capabilities in the fishing sector, impeding 
efforts to identify, track, and sanction all beneficiaries of 
the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities; 
Whereas flag-of-convenience practices enable crimes such as 
illicit trafficking, forced labor, and terrorist financing, 
demonstrating how the lack of international oversight has 
promoted maritime crime and smuggling; 
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Whereas a 2002 congressional panel determined that al- 
Qaida was operating ships under flag-of-convenience 
practices, exemplifying how lax shipping oversight allows 
criminals and terrorists to move arms, money, or even 
weapons of mass destruction; 
Whereas the use of flag of convenience reduces employment 
opportunities for American seafarers by bypassing United 
States labor standards, and furthermore, ships that oper-
ate under United States labor laws may be sold to for-
eign owners to maintain cost competitiveness through 
flag-of-convenience practices; 
Whereas shipowners use flag of convenience to avoid and un-
dermine existing United States laws, including fair 
wages, up-to-date onboard safety conditions, adequate 
food and clean drinking water, and reasonable working 
hours; 
Whereas, according to the International Transport Workers’ 
Federation, workers onboard flag-of-convenience vessels 
are more likely to experience low wages, poor onboard 
conditions, insufficient food and clean drinking water, 
and long periods of work without proper rest; 
Whereas nations that offer flag-of-convenience practices may 
lack the capacity to enforce maritime labor and safety 
regulations effectively, and additionally, these nations 
may not have the capabilities to determine if vessels host 
substandard conditions and a crew that suffers from in-
adequate working and living conditions; 
Whereas some registry nations benefit from international sta-
tus and fees but may purposefully not ensure compliance 
with international standards, and some landlocked na-
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tions offer open ship registries with minimal oversight for 
cost saving and criminal usage; and 
Whereas the flag-of-convenience practices undermine Presi-
dent Trump’s Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance 
initiative by attracting United States-built ships to reflag 
to another nation, and moreover, America’s shipbuilding 
and ship repair industries are put at a disadvantage be-
cause of other nations’ lower ship standards: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the need for more funding, em-
ployment opportunities, and protections for the 
United States maritime industry; 
(2) supports initiatives that seek to address 
critical shortfalls in the United States shipbuilding 
and ship repair industries while reiterating the need 
for a capable, reliable United States maritime auxil-
iary; 
(3) reaffirms the congressional support for 
United States businesses that rely on robust and re-
liable maritime shipping, shipbuilding, fishing, and 
tourism industries; 
(4) condemns the international use of flag of 
convenience to avoid tariffs, sanctions, workplace 
rights, and basic safety standards, as well as sup-
porting criminal opportunity, illegal, unreported, and 
unregulated fishing, and terrorist operations; 
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