Flag of Convenience

Means of registration granted by some countries to any type of merchant vessel, including oil tankers. The vessel's country of ownership and control is different from the country in which it is registered. Ship owners that have been granted a flag of convenience therefore pay low or no taxes and, in the least scrupulous countries, are subject to less stringent inspections. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) calculated the number of countries issuing flags of convenience at 35 in 2013.