Shipping firms get a simpler citizenship check

Shipping firms and other businesses in Maritime Administration, or MARAD, programs will have less paperwork to prove U.S. citizenship. The Maritime Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, finalized a rule June 4 that simplifies the affidavit process and trims the personal and ownership details companies must file.

A leaner affidavit

The biggest change is what comes off the form. MARAD is dropping the requirement to list the birth dates and places of birth of corporate executives, directors and stock owners, and it is eliminating the notarization requirement. The agency says those details do little to improve certainty but can create an unnecessary privacy risk.

For publicly traded entities, the rule also removes some information tied to registered stock owners. If MARAD has doubts about a filing, it can still ask for the information it needs.

Less data, same gatekeeping

The point is not to loosen the citizenship standard itself. It is to make the proof process less intrusive for companies that already have to clear the gate before taking part in MARAD programs.