The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry secured United States Coast Guard (USCG) QUALSHIP 21 recognition for the 22nd consecutive year.
According to the USCG’s 2025 Port State Control Annual Report, the RMI was the only one of the world’s three largest registries to achieve QUALSHIP 21 status this year.
The registry also remains the only one globally to maintain the recognition for 22 consecutive years.
RMI currently represents the highest number of QUALSHIP 21-qualified vessels worldwide.
“Excellence is achieved through teamwork with our owners and operators,” said Bill Gallagher, President of International Registries, Inc. (IRI).
“This milestone reflects the professionalism and dedication of our team, our fleet, and our partners, who work each day to uphold the highest standards of safety and operational excellence.”
IRI said it continues to support the RMI fleet through technical teams, digital solutions and cooperation with global port state control authorities.
“The Registry’s consistently outstanding global PSC record reflects the culture of safety across the RMI fleet,” said Brian Poskaitis, Senior Vice President of Fleet Operations at IRI.
The recognition comes as the USCG prepares to introduce a new performance-driven vessel examination regime under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. Under the new framework, QUALSHIP 21 status may influence vessel inspection assessments.
The RMI Registry also remains on the white lists of the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums of Understanding and maintains a favorable rating with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
As of 30 April 2026, the RMI Registry included 6,295 vessels totaling nearly 210 million gross tons. RMI-flagged ships currently account for 30.8% of all vessels enrolled in QUALSHIP 21 and 33% of vessels holding USCG E-ZERO status.
