Maritime cabotage is defined as the sea transport of passengers and goods between two sea ports located in the same country.

Coastal trade, particularly in archipelagic countries and countries with long coast lines can be an important and lucrative trade. It is therefore unsurprising that countries try to restrict the commercial transportation of goods and services between their ports and islands to nationally owned vessels. This Legal Briefing provides a quick overview of the cabotage regimes in Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Peru and the United States, highlighting the restrictions, the exceptions, and penalties for violating these regulations.

This briefing is one of a continuing series that aims to share the Club's legal expertise with our Members. A significant proportion of the expertise in the Managers' offices around the world consists of lawyers who can advise Members on general P&I related, legal, contractual and documentary issues. These lawyers participate in a virtual team, writing about topical issues under the leadership of our Legal Director, Chao Wu.