US Virgin Islands involved in US international ship registry proposal

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is involved in a proposal that aims to create a US international ship registry domiciled in the U.S. territory, the island's governor said.

President Donald Trump's administration is considering the proposal as part of efforts to enlarge the tiny commercial shipping fleet flying the American flag, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters last week.

Using the USVI could be the most efficient way to "strengthen American maritime posture" because the island territory could provide a U.S.-controlled flag without the costly restrictions associated with a straight U.S. flag registration, according to Eric Dawicki, president of the Center for Ocean Policy and Economics research body, which submitted the proposal to U.S. officials.

"We have been working with Eric R. Dawicki on this project for a while now. This is an innovative solution to strengthen American shipping," USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said in a LinkedIn post on Saturday.

Bryan's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Increasing the number of U.S.-flagged vessels is important for Trump's administration because it would enhance the ability of the U.S. commercial shipping fleet to provide logistical support for the military in time of war, and ease Washington's dependence on foreign ships to transport supplies and equipment across sea lanes.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Editing by Louise Heavens)