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2 October 2026, London (The Energy Circle by IN-VR) - Libya’s ports are increasingly certified against the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The latest is the Julyana Free Zone Port, which received its Statement of Compliance in October 2026. Adopted by the International Maritime Organization after the September 2001 attacks and in force since 2004, the Code sets the global standard for security in ships and port facilities. This article explains how a port achieves compliance and why certification affects insurance costs, shipping line networks and transit times. It also looks at what recent certification and investment, including the $2.7 billion terminal partnership at the Misurata Free Zone, mean for Libya’s trade.
In October 2026, Libya's Julyana Free Zone Port received a Statement of Compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Announcements like this appear regularly in maritime news, but what they mean for trade is rarely explained. This article sets out what the ISPS Code is, how a port becomes compliant, and why compliance affects the cost and reach of a country's trade.
What is the ISPS Code?
The ISPS Code is the international framework for security on ships and in the port facilities that serve them. It was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in December 2002, in response to the September 2001 attacks, and entered into force on 1 July 2004 under Chapter XI-2 of the SOLAS Convention.
The Code has two parts. Part A is mandatory and sets out the requirements for governments, port authorities and shipping companies. Part B is guidance on how to meet those requirements.
It applies to passenger ships and cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and above on international voyages, mobile offshore drilling units, and the port facilities that receive them. Its core ideas are:
- Three security levels. Level 1 is normal operations, Level 2 is a heightened risk, and Level 3 is an exceptional situation where an incident is probable or imminent. Each level triggers defined measures.
- Named responsibility. Every port facility appoints a Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO), every ship a Ship Security Officer (SSO), and every shipping company a Company Security Officer (CSO).
- Risk-based planning. Security measures follow from a formal assessment of each facility's threats and vulnerabilities, rather than a single checklist for all ports.
How a port facility becomes compliant
Compliance is a process run by the national government, usually through a designated maritime authority. It typically follows five steps:
- Port Facility Security Assessment. The authority, or a recognised security organisation acting for it, assesses the facility's assets, threats and weak points.
- Port Facility Security Plan. The facility drafts a plan setting out access control, cargo and stores handling, monitoring, and the measures for each security level. The authority must approve it.
- People and training. A PFSO is appointed and trained, and staff with security duties receive training matched to their roles.
- Drills and exercises. Drills are held at least every three months, and fuller exercises at least once each calendar year, to test the plan in practice.
- Verification and Statement of Compliance. Once the authority is satisfied that the plan is in place and working, it issues a Statement of Compliance of a Port Facility, which is valid for up to five years and subject to periodic verification.
Certification is not a one-off event. Plans must be reviewed, staff retrained and procedures updated as threats and IMO guidance change.
Why compliance matters for trade
The ISPS Code is a security framework, but its effects are commercial. Three mechanisms explain why.
The ten-port-call record. Under SOLAS, a ship arriving at a port must report its last ten port facility calls. A call at a facility without a valid Statement of Compliance can lead to extra inspections, delays or conditions at the next port. Shipping lines therefore avoid non-compliant facilities, because the cost follows the vessel for weeks afterwards.
Insurance and risk. Insurers and cargo owners price the risk of each route. A certified facility, with documented procedures and trained officers, lowers that risk and the surcharges that come with it.
Access to global carriers. Major container lines plan networks around ports that meet recognised standards. Compliance is a precondition for direct services, which cut transshipment stops, transit times and landed costs.
At the Julyana certification in October 2026, Engineer Mohamed Salem Al-Siwi, Head of Libya's Ports and Maritime Transport Authority, summarised the same points: compliance should improve maritime traffic, reduce insurance and cargo costs, and help attract international shipping lines.
Libya's ports in context
Libya's economy relies on hydrocarbon exports and on imported equipment, materials and consumer goods, so its ports shape the cost of almost every project in the country. Two recent developments show how standards and investment are moving together.
At Julyana, staff and port security officers completed specialised courses supervised by an IMO-accredited expert, including simulated incidents involving hazardous materials, before the facility received its Statement of Compliance.
At the Misurata Free Zone, the focus has been on terminal investment and new direct services:
- December 2025: Clarion Lines began cargo operations to Libya through Misurata, on a direct route from Nigeria.
- January 2026: the Misurata Free Zone signed a partnership with MSC, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) and Al Maha Capital Partners to develop and operate its container terminals. The planned investment is about $2.7 billion, with the stated aim of upgrading operations to international standards.
- May 2026: COSCO Shipping launched the first direct container service between China and Libya at Misurata, with two sailings a month.
These cases illustrate the link described above. International carriers commit direct services where they can rely on security and operating standards, and those services in turn lower the cost of moving goods in and out of the country. For Libya, maintaining compliance across its ports, and extending it as terminals expand, will be central to growing trade volumes.
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