US QUALSHIP 21 (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) is one of the world's highest standards. It was implemented by the US Coastguard (USCG) in 2001 to recognise and reward high-quality flag administrations and vessel owners for their commitment to safety and quality and provide incentives to encourage quality operations.

Qualification is based on a stringent set of criteria. For flag administrations to qualify their detention rate in the United States of America's ports must be lower than 1% over a three-year rolling period and they must have at least 10 PSC examinations in the US in each of the three previous years. They must also submit a self-assessment of flag administration performance to the International Maritime Organisation, providing a copy to the US Coastguard, and an Executive Summary from their Member State Audit Scheme audit.

UK-flagged ships benefit significantly from QUALSHIP 21 status, gaining a competitive edge when trading with the US. Reduced port state control inspections in US waters lead to fewer delays and improved operational efficiency.

Prasad Panicker, Deputy Director of Technical Operations from UK Maritime Services had this to say:

“We are extremely proud to have maintained the Qualship 21 certification, which demonstrates our continued commitment to quality and safety. 

This is testament to the excellent work our survey and inspection teams do during their surveys, audits and inspections on board our ships”.