Ships that called at Somali ports face enhanced US checks
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Caasimada Online
Commercial ships that have called at one of Somalia’s ports must meet enhanced security requirements before entering US waters. The measure, which took effect on 27 October 2026, places Somalia on the US Coast Guard’s Port Security Advisory list, according to a notice published in the US Federal Register.
Commercial ships that have called at a Somali port will face enhanced security checks before entering US waters. The US Coast Guard measure took effect on 27 October 2026, after Washington deemed counterterrorism measures at Somali ports ineffective, Caasimada Online reports.
Somalia has been added to the US Port Security Advisory list, which now includes 24 countries, among them Iran, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Venezuela. US authorities consider the last five ports a ship has called at: if one is in a listed country, additional requirements apply.
The ships concerned must step up monitoring of access to them in the designated ports and record the measures taken. They must submit this information to the Coast Guard commander responsible for their US port of arrival. The Coast Guard may also board or inspect a ship; failure to comply could lead to delays or denial of entry to a US port.
The measure concerns port security and ships’ access to the United States, not warnings about piracy or attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. The US Coast Guard removed Nigeria from the list on 19 August 2026 after a new assessment of its ports.
