The Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) says a tanker linked to oil shipments to North Korea was not registered under its flag at the time of the violation.
The 9,224-dwt Kingsway (built 1998) was one of four ships that are alleged to have violated UN Sanctions imposed on North Korea due to its nuclear weapons programme.
PISR says it only gave the Kingsway a provisional registration on 8 December while the ship was anchored in Taiwan, changing from the Panama flag.
