AMBREY insight > USCG Conditions of Entry for Haiti: Maritime Security Implications for Commercial Shipping

Date issued: 13 July 2026

This document has been approved for distribution by Ambrey Analytics Ltd.

“The U.S. Coast Guard’s new security requirements for vessels calling Haiti reflect a broader shift in maritime security. Increasingly, regulators are assessing not only compliance with the ISPS Code within port facilities, but also the wider security environment, including state control, organised criminal influence, and the resilience of critical infrastructure. Haiti is unlikely to be the last example where deteriorating security ashore directly shapes maritime regulation.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has introduced Conditions of Entry (CoE) for all vessels calling Haitian ports before proceeding to the United States, following a determination that Haiti is not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures required under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. 
• The measure does not prohibit port calls to Haiti. Instead, vessels must demonstrate enhanced shipboard security measures during their stay or risk being denied entry into U.S. ports. 
• Ambrey assesses that the decision reflects a broader deterioration in Haiti’s security environment as well as the deficiencies within individual port facilities. 
• Armed gangs continue to exert influence over areas surrounding strategic maritime infrastructure, limiting the ability of port authorities to maintain effective control over access routes and adjacent operational areas. 
• The decision is likely to increase compliance requirements, security costs, and documentary obligations for vessels trading between Haiti and the United States. 
• On 1 May 2026, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier was boarded by armed perpetrators while anchored approximately 17.5NM west of Port-au-Prince; a Turkish national and a Russian crew member were kidnapped. This remains the most recent kidnap-for-ransom incident targeting a merchant vessel. Reportedly, $500,000 USD ransom was paid.  
• More recently, on 11 June 2026, the Inspector General of the Haitian National Police was kidnapped in Port-au-Prince, and on 15 June a road tanker was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while queuing at a port terminal gate – both underscoring the state’s diminishing ability to secure port-adjacent infrastructure. 

SITUATION

The U.S. Coast Guard has introduced new Conditions of Entry (CoE) for all vessels that have called at Haitian ports before proceeding to the United States, following a determination that Haiti is not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures in accordance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.