Project Fair Waters, led by Kosei Ohno, President of Crown Bay Marina, is urging immediate federal intervention, especially by the U.S. Treasury and the Department of Transportation, to reverse the British Virgin Islands’ new charter-yacht tariffs and save American Christmas travel and the U.S. Virgin Islands economy.
Mere weeks after the United States and United Kingdom announced the historic Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) and despite its commitments to fair, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial treatment of American commerce, the BVI House of Assembly passed a new fee structure raising charter costs, in some instances, from $800 to as much as $24,000, a 2,900% increase imposed largely on U.S. operators. This tariff regime has come into effect to decimate the peak charter season from Thanksgiving Day through the New Year’s holidays for charter industry and the marine and port services which support it.
“These tariffs have removed Americans’ preferred option of traveling through the U.S. Virgin Islands to reach the BVI,” said Ohno. Charters, marinas, chandlers, provisioners, fuel and transportation providers, restaurants, hoteliers, and other support services are all suffering. “Repeal is urgently needed to restore access and protect U.S. workers and businesses during the Christmas season.”
“International partnerships rely on good-faith engagement and respect for long-standing commercial expectations,” said Michelle Meade of Meade Law, counsel for Project Fair Waters. “This unseemly and untoward infringement on navigation enacted by our neighboring island strips Americans of access, imposes unfair and predatory fees, and destabilizes a trusted travel corridor. Treasury and DOT have both the authority and imperative to act swiftly to restore fairness, protect U.S. travelers and workers, and reinforce the cooperative commitments embodied in EPD.”
National-Security and Economic Concerns: The BVI, a U.S. dollar based economy, is relying on U.S.-derived revenue to support its airport expansion—previously tied to China Communications Construction Company, a Chinese state-owned entity sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2020. The recent presence of the USS Gerald R. Ford underscores the region’s strategic importance and the need for a stable USVI economy capable of supporting U.S. maritime readiness and regional security.
Federal Action Needed: Project Fair Waters continues to work with local officials, but federal action is needed to address this international matter. Project Fair Waters calls on the U.S. Treasury to use financial tools to halt discriminatory BVI practices; the Department of Transportation to act under 49 U.S.C. § 41310; and the State Department, Commerce, USTR, and SBA to enforce EPD obligations and support affected U.S. businesses.
Path Forward: Project Fair Waters proposes establishing a “Greater Virgin Islands Sailing Zone,” a U.S.–U.K. framework to restore seamless maritime access, strengthen tourism, reduce administrative burdens, and create predictable operating conditions. The coalition requests full participation of any working groups shaping this initiative.
