Containership owner and lessor Global Ship Lease (GSL) has issued a statement in response to the implementation measures on the special port charges for US vessels issued by the Ministry of Transport of China.
In its statement, the company clarified that it is not owned, operated, or controlled by any US enterprise, organisation, or individual.
GSL stated that it is a corporation formed under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, with its principal executive office and executive management located in Greece.
Although listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the company qualifies as a "foreign private issuer". The company’s board of directors consists of nine members, of which only one non-executive director is based in the US.
Furthermore, GSL confirmed that none of its vessels fly the United States flag and none of its vessels were built in the United States. All of the company's vessels are managed by a company that is located in Greece and is 100 per cent owned and controlled by Greek citizens.
Regarding its ownership, the company noted that as a publicly traded company, its shareholders are widely dispersed. Based on publicly available information, there is no single US shareholder that has disclosed ownership in, or control over, 25 per cent or more of GSL’s issued and outstanding shares or voting rights.