The U.S. federal agency Federal Maritime Commission has announced the launch of an investigation into restrictive measures and practices adopted by the Spanish Government which would have prevented certain vessels, including U.S. flag carriers, to enter ports of the Iberian nation. The FMC specified that the refusal of entry into port ports occurred in at least three different occasions during this year and two more would have involved American ships.

In particular, the US agency announced that it had received information on November 19 about the ban imposed at the beginning of the month from Spain to the landing in the Spanish port of Algeciras of the container ship Maersk Denver which is was hijacked in Morocco, a ship that is part of the fleet of the Maritime Security Program (MSP) of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) which aims to maintain in service a commercial fleet that can also be used as a service of the U.S. Department of Defense in the event of conflict or other national emergencies. The American flag container ship, which is operated by Maersk Ltd., a US company of the Danish shipowning group A.P. Møller-Mærsk, was was diverted to Morocco due to the protests in Spain that ignited because it was believed that the Maersk Denver was transporting military supplies destined for Israel. In addition, FMC has specified that at the beginning of November Spain would deny access to the port of Algeciras also to the container ship Maersk Seletar, also part of the MSP program fleet, and a last May also to another U.S. ship that is not part of the of the MSP program.

The investigation of the American agency begins with the collection of information through a public consultation lasting 20 days during which the FMC requests information on these and any other episodes.