Vessel screening
Also called maritime sanctions screening, IMO screening
Vessel screening is the check of ships, their owners, managers and voyages against sanctions lists and maritime risk signals. Firms screen the IMO number, flag and ownership chain, then review voyage history for dark activity. Banks, insurers and commodity traders use it before financing or covering a shipment.
How it works
A trade finance team receives a bill of lading naming a tanker. It screens the IMO number, flag and registered owner against sanctions lists, then reviews AIS tracking data. Gaps in transmission, ship-to-ship transfers at sea and frequent flag changes raise the risk score. A match or unexplained gap stops the deal until the team clears it.
Vessel screening matters because sanctioned cargo moves through shadow fleets using renamed ships and shell owners. Name screening alone misses them. The US issued maritime guidance in May 2020 listing deceptive shipping practices. The EU has listed hundreds of shadow fleet tankers since 2024, banning port access and services to them.
The rules
Sets out deceptive shipping practices such as AIS manipulation and ship-to-ship transfers, and recommends risk-based compliance controls for the maritime sector.
Ship owners, insurers, flag registries, traders and financial institutionsIntroduced listings of named vessels, mainly shadow fleet tankers, that are denied port access and related services in the EU.
EU operators providing port access and services to shipsCommon questions
Why is the IMO number central to vessel screening?
Ships change names, flags and owners, but the IMO number stays with the hull for its life. Screening on it links a renamed vessel to its sanctions history. Firms check the number against lists and maritime databases.
What is AIS and why do gaps matter?
The Automatic Identification System broadcasts a ship's position and identity. Switching it off or spoofing it can hide calls at sanctioned ports or ship-to-ship transfers. US guidance lists AIS manipulation as a main red flag for sanctions evasion.
Who needs to screen vessels?
Banks financing trade, marine insurers, commodity traders, ship brokers and port service providers. Anyone whose service supports a voyage can be exposed if the ship, cargo or counterparty is sanctioned.
What is a shadow fleet?
A shadow fleet is a group of tankers, often old and with opaque ownership, used to move sanctioned oil outside Western services. The EU, UK and US have listed many such vessels since 2024.
