Global warming has increased the potential for commercial shipping as the Arctic ice progressively melts. Canada maintains that the Passage is part of its internal waters and that no right of innocent passage exists within it, whereas the United States of America believes the Passage is an international strait where the right of transit passage exists.
The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters ("the Polar Code") was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on15th May 2015.