ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kayokai)

"Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, the world's largest ship classification society, has no plans to shut down its operations in Iran in response to the risks associated with tensions between the West and the Islamic Republic, the executive vice president of the society, also known as ClassNK, said Tuesday. Many ship classification societies, banks, insurers and shipowners have been forced to cut ties with Iran because of tightening Western sanctions. Japan-based ClassNK doesn't service any Iranian ships, so the sanctions haven't impacted the society's operations, Yasushi Nakamura told Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of an event announcing a partnership with NAPA, a leading software house for ship design and operations, to provide a solution for the global Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan, for which regulation will come into force on Jan 1, 2013.'We have full intention to maintain our Iranian office to service other clients worldwide,' Nakamura said. 'If there's a breakthrough in talks between Iran and the West, and the situation gets resolved, we could expand coverage to include Iranian carriers too.'" (Wall Street Journal, "ClassNK To Maintain Iran Operations Despite Western Sanctions -Executive," 5/8/12) (http://professional.wsj.com/article/TPDJCS000020120508e85800021.html)

“Japanese ship classification society NIPPON KAIJI KYOKAI (ClassNK) is pleased to announce the establishment of two new offices in Africa and the Middle East this month. The first is a new office in Accra, Ghana, which will officially open on 25 December 2009, while the other is in Tehran, Iran, which will open on 31 December.” (MaritimeDirectory.com, “Shipping – Two New Class NK offices in Ghana and Iran,” 12/18/2009) (http://www.maritimedirectory.com.mt/newsread.asp?l=e&ID=470)

ClassNK explained that “[a]s part of its plan to further strengthen operations in the region, the Society also signed an agreement with ICS in February 2016 which sets out a framework for surveys and certifications for NK/ICS dual-classed ships.”  (Id.).  Furthermore: A separate agreement with PMO, the Iranian maritime administration, is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. That agreement will enable ClassNK to perform statutory surveys and certifications on Iranian-flagged vessels in cooperation with Port & Flag State Control officers.(Id.).  (http://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/en/hp_news.aspx?id=2007&type=press_release&layout=5) (http://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/en/hp_news.aspx?id=2007&type=press_release&layout=5)

“As previously advised, it is the policy of ClassNK to comply with applicable laws and regulations where it operates. In this connection, we are currently conducting our investigation and liaising with competent authorities of the flag state to determine whether and to what extent the matter raised in your letters affect our compliance policy and procedures. We intend to take appropriate measures based on our findings of facts and circumstances as well as the instructions from the competent authorities of the flag states in order to maintain and ensure our compliance with applicable laws and regulations." (December 8, 2020)

"A Japanese ship classification society will close its Tehran office, becoming the latest firm to face pressure by a U.S. lobby group to end dealings with Iran as backers of Western sanctions pile pressure on the Islamic Republic. Japan's ClassNK said it did not verify safety and environmental standards for Iranian ships, but was nevertheless pulling out of Iran.'We at ClassNK have already voluntarily refrained from activities in Iran, and we have no vessels with Iranian flags, so we do not think that our current activities are running foul of the Iran sanctions,' a senior ClassNK official told Reuters on Tuesday.'But considering the environment that surrounds us as of late, there were talks on this inside the organisation, and we have officially decided to close our Tehran office.' The move follows a call last week by U.S. group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) to cut ties with Iran . . . While UANI acknowledged ClassNK did not provide formal certification services to Iranian vessels, it said the Japanese firm maintained an office in Tehran, which 'lends important symbolic support to the regime.' UANI added that ClassNK also provided technical certificates for two Iranian firms that did business with Iranian shipping companies. The two Iranian firms provide distressed radio beacons, which transmit internationally recognised emergency codes and location data.'By providing services to these companies, ClassNK is directly facilitating the operations of Iran's shipping sector, an action that enables the Iranian government to circumvent multilateral sanctions that have been imposed to prevent it from further developing its illegal nuclear weapons program,' UANI said. The ClassNK official did not refer to the two Iranian firms but said it would close its office as soon as possible." (Reuters, "Japanese ship certifier to end Iran ties," 7/17/12) (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/17/japan-shipping-iran-idUSL6E8IHGN920120717)

In June 2016, Class NK announced that it had “resumed operations in Iran with the reopening of its Tehran Office and agreements with the Iranian Classification Society (ICS) and Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Ministry of Roads & Urban Development of Iran.”  (ClassNK Website, “ClassNK returns to Iran,” 6/15/2016).  (http://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/en/hp_news.aspx?id=2007&type=press_release&layout=5)

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ClassNK also lists a Tehran office as part of its network.  (ClassNK Website, “Service Network”). (https://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/en/about/contact/index.html)