It is AGM time on the US west coast

Not a picture of AGM (which has been renamed Spongy Moth), but I liked this so I used it to make the point.

Any ship going from northeast Asia to the US west coast, including the Pacific Northwest region, for the rest of this summer will need to have a certificate that shows it is free of Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) before it leaves Asia. You should obtain an AGM certificate, but

do not let failure to obtain an AGM certificate prevent you from coming to the Pacific Northwest if you find a good piece of business.

If you find a good piece of business then take it!

Work with your owner’s protective agent (OPA) to show CBP that you made a good faith effort to obtain an AGM certificate. The likely result will be that CBP will send an officer on board at the pilot station to check for AGM. If, after the two hour inspection, your ship is found to be AGM-free then you will proceed without further delay. From our experience, the charterer will not claim two hours worth of off-hire and there will not be any delays or costs associated with the AGM inspection.

As always, please feel free to contact me at 503-319-3278 or dp@nasaship, if you have any questions. In the meantime, please click on the link below for this year’s AGM season dates and other related information.

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