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Industry news: A decade of IMO numbers

International Maritime Organization (IMO) numbers, the unique identifiers for ships, ship owners and management companies, were introduced under the SOLAS Convention to improve maritime safety and to reduce fraud a decade ago. Adopted in August 1994, the use of the numbers came into force on 1 January 1996. Since then, these seven-digit numbers have become a common sight on cargo ships of at least 300gt.

The number is assigned to a vessel for life even if there is a change of name, flag or owner, and is allocated to a hull during construction. In 2002 the regulations called for the number to be shown in a visible place on either a ship’s hull or superstructure, as well as internally and on certificates. RC

Ships Montly - January 2024

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