REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Ministry of Finance and Treasury

Office of the Directorate of Merchant Marine Circular No. 45

Consular and Maritime Affairs

 

To: Owners/Operators and Masters of Panamanian flag Vessels

Subject: International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969

Reference: Law No. 6 of October 27, 1977

1. Reference is made to the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969, which establishes that all ships engaged on international voyages, except warships and ships of less than 24 meters in length, are subject to the Convention.

2. Ships in the following categories shall be measured according to the Convention and shall carry the International Tonnage Certificate on board:

a. All ships whose keels are laid, or which are at a similar stage of construction on or after the 18th of July 1982. These ships are considered new ships by the Convention.

b. All ships, other than new ships, which undergo alterations or modifications on or after 18th July 1982, which the Administration deems to cause a substantial variation in their existing gross tonnages.

c. All ships, other than new ships, if the owner so requests. This option, once exercised, cannot be reversed by the present or subsequent owners, even in the event of a change of flag.

d. All ship, other than those indicated in (a), (b), and (c) above, on the 18th July 1994. Ships to which the Convention does not apply shall continue to use national tonnage certificates issued according to the regulations in force before the 18th July 1982.

3. Once the International Tonnage Certificate (1969) is issued to a ship, the gross tonnage measured according to the Convention shall be used for the purpose of the application of other international conventions and national regulations with the following exceptions:

  1. Ships included in these categories indicated in paragraph 2, (a), (b) and (c) may continue the use of tonnages measured according to the applicable national tonnage rules in force prior to the 18th July 1982, for the purpose of the application of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974, if the keel of such ships is laid before the following dates:

    2.  

     

     

    (i) 18th July 1994, for ships under 1600 GRT.

    (ii) 31th December 1985, for ships of 1600 GRT and above.

    Furthermore, ships of any tonnage the keel of which is laid before the 18th July 1994 may continue the use of tonnages measured according to the applicable national tonnage rules in force prior to the 18th July 1982, for the purpose of the application of Regulation 3/IV of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974.

  2. Ships included in the category indicated in paragraph 2, (d) above may continue the use indefinitely of tonnages measured according to the applicable national tonnage rules in force prior to the 18th July 1982, for the purpose of the applications of other existing international conventions.

Ships intending to apply the provisions of 3(a), or 3, (b) above must have both the International Tonnage Certificate (1969) and the National Tonnage Certificate issued under the regulations in force prior to the 18th July 1982.

4. Ships measured according to the rules of the international Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969, will use this measurement for the purpose of assessing Panamanian fiscal obligations.

 

 

 

 

May 1992

 

 

 

Inquiries concerning the subject of this Circular should be directed to:
Directorate of Consular and Maritime Affairs, New York Representative Office,
Republic of Panama, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, 23rd Floor
New York, New York 10036, U.S.A.