U.S. Maritime Boundaries

Maritime boundaries are vital for both maintaining peaceful borders with our neighbors and clearly delimiting our rights and interests with respect to fishing and marine living resources, mineral and hydrocarbon resources, freedom of navigation, maritime domain awareness and security, and other uses of the sea.

The outer limits of the U.S. exclusive economic zone and continental shelf can be found in Federal Register Notices 12243 and 12244, respectively, published on December 21, 2023.  These notices take into account the U.S. maritime boundaries listed below.

Canada

• Passamaquoddy Bay (1910, entered into force: August 20, 1910) 36 Stat. 2477; Treaty Series 551: Treaty [180 KB]

• Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Maine (1984), Judgment of ICJ Chamber [485 KB]

Cook Islands

• Treaty between the United States of America and the Cook Islands (1980, entered into force: September 8, 1983): Treaty [966 KB]

Cuba

• Maritime Boundary Agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba (1977): Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 96-8; Provisional Application Agreement
• Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba on the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 Nautical Miles (2017; provisionally applied, pending entry into force):  Senate Treaty Document 118-1, including the Treaty; Provisional Application Agreement

Kiribati

• Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Kiribati on the Delimitation of Maritime Boundaries (2013, entered into force: July 19, 2019): Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 114-13

Federated States of Micronesia

• Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia on the Delimitation of a Maritime Boundary (2014, entered into force: July 18, 2019): Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 114-13

Mexico

• Treaty to Resolve Pending Boundary Differences and Maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the International Boundary (1970, entered into force April 18, 1972): Treaty [523 KB]

• Treaty on Maritime Boundaries between the United Mexican States and the United States of America (1978, entered into force November 13, 1997):  Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 96-6 
• Treaty between the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United States of America on the delimitation of the continental shelf in the western Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 nautical miles (entered into force: 17 January 2001): Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 106-39
• Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States on the Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (2017, not yet entered into force): Senate Treaty Document 118-1

New Zealand

• Treaty between the United States of America and New Zealand on the Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary Between Tokelau and the United States of America (1980, entered into force: September 3, 1983): Treaty [438 KB]; Senate Treaty Document 97-5

Niue

• Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Niue on the Delimitation of a Maritime Boundary (1997, entered into force: October 7, 2014): Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 105-53 

Russian Federation

• The Agreement between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Maritime Boundary (1990, provisionally applied, pending entry into force): Treaty [260 KB]; Senate Treaty Document 101-22

• Agreement to abide by terms of maritime boundary agreement of June 1, 1990, pending entry into force, (1990, entered into force June 1, 1990; effective June 15, 1990): Agreement [174 KB]

United Kingdom

• Treaty on the delimitation in the Caribbean of a maritime boundary relating to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Anguilla (1993, entered into force: June 1, 1995): Treaty [154 KB]; Senate Treaty Document 103-23 
• Treaty on the delimitation in the Caribbean of a maritime boundary relating to Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands (1993, entered into force: June 1, 1995): Treaty; Senate Treaty Document 103-23 

Venezuela

• Maritime Boundary Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Venezuela (1978): Treaty [PDF] [450 KB]; Senate Treaty Document 96-7

Please Note: Hyperlinks provided on this page provide access to copies of official documents, some of which cannot be adjusted to fully meet accessibility standards. Requests for unofficial, but accessible alternative documents may be made by email to LimitsInTheSeas@state.gov.