U.S. probes Spain after U.S.-registered ships bound for Israel were denied port entry

Spain’s policy of barring port access to ships suspected of carrying military supplies to Israel has sparked an investigation by the Federal Maritime Commission after two U.S.-registered vessels were denied entry last month.

Spanish authorities are suspected of denying the Maersk Denver and Maersk Seletar, which operate under contract as part of America’s Maritime Security Program.

A Spanish Foreign Ministry spokesman on Nov. 7 told the newspaper El Pais that the U.S.-flagged ships couldn’t stop in Spain because of the restrictions against Israel.

“Information indicates Spain has refused entry to certain vessels on at least three separate occasions this year. The two most recent instances involved U.S.-flagged vessels,” the FMC said Thursday.

The agency investigates policies, including those made by foreign governments, that could hinder U.S. shipping rights. Such regulations are “inconsistent with the commission’s objective of ensuring access to, and the well-functioning of, the complex and interdependent system that moves goods in foreign commerce by water,” the FMC said.

The commission’s investigation will begin with a 20-day public comment period. The agency wants information about reports of vessels barred from port calls in Spain.

The FMC can impose heavy daily fines and bar Spanish-flagged vessels from calling at U.S. ports if it finds that Madrid has carried out its embargo policy on U.S. registered merchant ships.