European reefer operators and owners face tens of millions in possible fines after a series of penalty notices from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.
London-based Star Reefers and Swedish-based, Russian-controlled operator Cool Carriers with its owner Baltic Shipping account for the lion's share of voyages that the agency is known to have objected to so far.
But Norway's Green Reefers and Ecuador's Noboa Group are also among those whose vessels were named by US Customs in August in an enforcement blitz to punish violators of the Jones Act.
