US wants United Nations to blacklist 10 ships over banned North Korea cargo
Another Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel, Ocean Skipper, was erroneously implicated in November over shipments of coal that were in fact legal
The United States has asked the UN Security Council to blacklist 10 ships for carrying banned cargo from North Korea, according to the request obtained on Tuesday.
The vessels including two Hong Kong-flagged ships and two North Korean tankers will be barred from entry into ports worldwide if the council approves the request.
A sanctions committee set a deadline of 3pm on Thursday for council members to raise objections to the proposed global port ban.
The request targets the Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker Lighthouse Winmore, the Palau-flagged oil tanker Billions No. 18, the cargo carrier Xin Sheng Hai from Belize and the Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship Kai Xiang.
Two North Korean cargo vessels, Ul Ji Bong 6 and Rung Ra 2 along with two oil tankers Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 are on the proposed blacklist as are the Chinese tugboat Yu Yuan and the Glory Hope 1 (also known as Orient Shenyu), a Panama-flagged cargo ship.
In October, the council slapped a global port ban on four vessels found carrying North Korean coal, seafood and iron ore, which are banned under UN council resolutions.