Government Oversight

Shipping within the Great Lakes-Seaway is governed by the world's highest safety and operational standards. The U.S. Coast Guard oversees every aspect of U.S.-flag shipping on self-propelled vessels, including construction, ship maintenance, and qualifications of the crew. Transport Canada plays a similar role for Canadian-flag vessels.

The Great Lakes-Seaway navigation system cuts across local, state, and national borders.  Marine carriers consequently must deal with many different government agencies, both in Canada and in the US, and must comply with a complex regulatory regime that governs the use of this jointly managed waterway.

A Great Lakes marine carrier in cross border trade will have to comply with approximately 30 sets of U.S. and Canadian regulations that are administered by 10 different departments on the federal and provincial level. When ship construction and ship maintenance regulations are considered, the U.S. has at least 18 different federal agencies with responsibilities relating to marine transportation systems.

Merchant vessels undergo frequent inspections to ensure regulatory compliance.  So-called "flag-state" inspections are those conducted by the country in which the vessel is registered. Such inspections ensure compliance with international maritime regulations and domestic rules of the flag state. "Port state" inspections are those conducted by countries in which foreign vessels are visiting. Likewise, these inspections ensure compliance with international rules and domestic rules of the port state.