Bahamas Maritime Authority cites partnerships with China and Greece

The Bahamas Maritime Authority has been gaining ground as a maritime registry by marketing itself internationally, including with Greek shipowners, while developing a growing relationship with China.

On its website, the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) cites its relationship with China as one of the key advantages for shipowners to fly the Bahamas flag enhanced by a 28% discount on Chinese port charges: “Bahamas and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) share a reciprocal maritime transport agreement, first signed in 2003, to strengthen their cooperation across the shipping sector. The agreement was developed to reinforce and enhance the relationship between the two governments.”

BMA says that in 2025, “The Bahamas registry is the world’s 4th largest flag by the commercial value of fleet.”

Bahamas Preferential Maritime Agreement with China

On its website, BMA notes: “Bahamas Preferential Maritime Agreement with China” and itemizes the following advantages for Bahamas-flagged ships:

• Shipowners of both nations are granted ‘most favored nation’ status in respect of port access, port stay, and use of port facilities.
• All Bahamas-flagged ships “receive preferential treatment when calling in to Chinese ports with charges at a 28% discount of standard dues.”
• Chinese authorities will actively work to expedite processes such as customs procedures and other port formalities to avoid unnecessary delays to Bahamas ships.
• Certificates of registry and other ship documents are recognized by Chinese authorities.
• Assurance of proper and fair treatment of crew members.
• Seafarer identification and record books recognized.

BMA and the Chinese Shipping Industry

BMA also announced that it was enhancing its relationship with Chinese Shipping companies. In August 2024, BMA reported that: “A Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) delegation led by Asia Regional Director, Captain Jahangir Hussain, recently had a busy week meeting important clients and stakeholders from the Chinese shipping industry in Shanghai. This was the second promotional visit to Shanghai in 2024, emphasizing the strategic importance BMA places on its business relations with the growing Chinese shipping sector.”

BMA said the meetings were “highly successful and are making a strong contribution to The BMA’s objective of strengthening mutually beneficial relationships with one of the leading ship-owning countries in the world. The BMA is pleased that it has received such a warm welcome from these major companies.”

In 1995, with the passing of the eponymous Bahamas Maritime Authority Act, “a new government agency, The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA), was inaugurated to take responsibility for all ships registered in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. At the time, the Bahamas Fleet was growing rapidly and was the sixth largest in the world.” Since then, the BMA has become one of the largest ship registers, following Liberia and Panama, and it is the world leader in cruise passenger ships. In 2025, the Bahamian-flagged fleet now composes 1,650 oceangoing vessels totaling 53 million gross tons and has established offices in Nassau, London, New York, and Hong Kong and agents in Japan, Germany, and Greece.

2025: BMA-Greece Cooperation

In June 2025, BMA announced that “a large number of delegates attended the recent Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) Technical Seminar in Athens, Greece, where they were given vital updates on environmental regulatory and general technical matters. The event took place during the Authority’s 30th Anniversary year and included participants from shipowning, ship managing, class societies, media, BMA Inspectors, and other Greek industry stakeholders.”

Following BMA’s June 2025 Technical Seminar in Athens, Managing Director & CEO, Captain Dwain Hutchinson, and Deputy Director of Maritime Affairs, Captain Ghulam Hussain, accompanied Regional Director, Dimitri Tsiftsis, in visits to a few major Greek shipowners who are valued clients of the BMA. The team was pleased to meet representatives from the Laskaridis, Dorian LPG, Stealth LPG, and Chartworld Groups.

These visits complemented the BMA’s Technical Seminar as “a wonderful opportunity for the BMA to engage in industry dialogue, gain feedback on customer service delivery and showcase its commitment to the local shipping industry in Greece.”

In its 2024 annual review, BMA noted: “2024 also marked the 10th Anniversary of The BMA’s Piraeus office in Greece. This milestone coincided, almost to the day, with Posidonia (International Shipping Exhibition) in May, and was the perfect opportunity to meet with government officials, clients, and maritime industry leaders. Greece is home to 20% of the world’s shipowners, and they own 17% of the Bahamas fleet, so it is a privilege to operate a complete range of registration services …”

BMA’S Dimitri Tsifitis

In October 2023, joining more than 1,200 representatives from the world of shipping at Maritime Cyprus were the BMA’s Managing Director and CEO, Captain Dwain Hutchinson, and BMA Regional Director, Dimitri Tsiftsis.

Among the speakers at the Maritime Cyprus Conference were regulators, including IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, IMO Secretary General-designate Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, and representatives from the EU financiers, insurers, shipowners, ship managers, shipowners’ associations, and industry groups.

In October 2024, Dimitri Tsiftsis, BMA’s Regional Director, East Mediterranean, Black Sea and Middle East, told the Cyprus Shipping News: “I joined The BMA in 2017, and my role involves overseeing operations at the Piraeus office, business development and marketing, and industry relations. We are pleased to work with owners and partners from Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, the Black Sea, and the Middle East … “

In terms of the relationship with Greece, he explained: “2024 represents a milestone for The Bahamas Maritime Authority as it marks ten years of successful operations from its Greek office. The BMA was very early to recognize the importance of the Greek shipping industry, and so was keen to have a dedicated presence in the region. From small beginnings, The BMA in Piraeus now offers a complete range of registration services …”

He added: “Greece is at the epicenter of global maritime activity, and so it is of enormous importance to The BMA and also to the entire maritime sector. Greek shipowners make up approximately 25% of the worldwide shipping industry, and that figure rises to 60% in Europe; there are also significant numbers of owners in the surrounding region. Quality customer service remains at the heart of what we do, and The BMA is proud to support its Greek owners and managers in the safe operation of their vessels, which today number more than 275 and total 13 million gross tons.”

The key challenges facing the maritime industry today are “global rather than regional, so the Greek region is grappling with the same issues as the rest of the sector. The three key challenges are: emissions control with the introduction of new fuels in line with the regulations; maritime safety due to regional conflicts; and the human element, specifically seafarer training and availability. The BMA is working closely with its partners at the IMO as well as its shipowners to ensure that the regulatory process is balanced and effective.”

Tsiftsis noted international collaborations: “As the maritime industry faces increasingly complex challenges, collaboration among key stakeholders at the international regulatory maritime organizations and industry groups such as International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), InterCargo, InterTanko, CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), amongst others is more crucial than ever.”

BMA Sponsors AMVER Awards

The Bahamas Maritime Authority is a sponsor of the AMVER (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System). BMA was represented at the AMVER awards dinner held on December 15th, 2023, in Piraeus, Greece.

AMVER is operated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to promote the safety of life and property at sea. Its mission is to provide Search and Rescue authorities on demand, as well as accurate information on the positions and characteristics of vessels near a reported distress. AMVER is a worldwide voluntary reporting system that benefits the entire industry.

At the Piraeus dinner, BMA reported attendance by the Greek Minister of Shipping, the US Ambassador, USCG (U.S. Coast Guard) Officers, “the Chairman of the Greek Shipowners Union and more than 1500 guests attended the ceremony and dinner, and several special rescue awards were received by BMA’s clients. Among them were Dorian LPG, Enterprises Shipping & Trading, Chartworld Maritime, and Technomar Shipping.” And the BMA’s Regional Director, Dimitri Tsiftsis, attended the event and received an honorary plaque.

The Bahamas’ Flag Fleet

BMA has a diverse and varied portfolio of ships registered across a range of market sectors. It notes that while it is best known for its class cruise fleet, in fact, passenger ships make up just 11% of ship numbers on the Bahamas Register. General cargo accounts for 15%, tankers 12% and bulk carriers 16%. The Bahamas is also proud of its technical expertise in supporting the offshore industry – offshore oil and gas support vessels alone account for 17% of the vessels registered with the Flag. (See Chart)