The patchwork system of safety regulations pertaining to massive cargo ships like the one that toppled a major bridge in Baltimore this week can allow freight transporters to skirt oversight, critics say, making maritime shipping what one expert called “the weakest link in the transportation system.”

The thousands of container ships that carry more than 80% of all goods moved around the world are governed by rules established by the International Maritime Organization in London that are enforced by the various countries where ships are based and ports across the world. And many ships fly the flags of so-called countries of convenience that offer cheap registration fees and tax breaks but may not have robust oversight…

But regulators and ship owners defend the safety of the industry because regardless of where a ship is based, it’s still supposed to meet the same standards that countries and ports enforce through periodic inspections….the ship that struck the bridge in Baltimore — the Dali — was last inspected …on Sept. 13…the“standard examination” didn’t identify any deficiencies…

But another ship that was owned by the Dali’s owner, Grace Ocean, was banned from Australian ports for six months in 2021 after authorities there discovered it had been underpaying its workers…