Global shipping knows the principle of free choice of flag. This means that ships can freely choose their nationality. Countries can decide for themselves how to create their own flag and ship registry.

    Major flags such as Panama, Liberia and the Marshall Islands have put a lot of effort into this global competition, with relatively limited conditions for ship registration.

    The Netherlands deliberately did not choose this because the Dutch flag (which is the flag of the Kingdom) is known throughout the world as a quality flag. With proper monitoring of authorities' compliance with environmental and safety requirements. The flag state does this. In the Netherlands it is ILT.