Impact of COVID-19 on the freedom of the merchant ship’s access to foreign ports

Nowadays, merchant shipping is facing a new challenge in the context of COVID-19. The ships at sea may find themselves in need of immediate medical assistance relating to the crewmembers and/or passengers due to COVID-19. Besides, there is a problem with the change of ship crews in due time and their repatriation. Under international custom, coastal States keep their ports open for merchant shipping but may require the ship’s master to take appropriate action to prevent a threat of danger. In cases of failure or urgency, the coastal State can exercise its authority in taking responsive action appropriate to the threat. The article analyzes the main issue - how reasonable are the actions of states that close their ports to foreign vessels in the light of COVID-19. In this paper, the practice of foreign and Russian ports in the context of the COVID-19 is assessed.