Wide range of disputes under time and voyage charterparties, concerning for example payment of hire or freight, payment of demurrage (including container demurrage), exercising liens over cargo, sailing orders, safety of ports, ship’s performance and characteristics
Disputes under contracts of affreightment and bills of lading
Bunker quality disputes with bunker suppliers and between owners and charterers Claims for damage to the ship (where losses are below hull and machinery deductible) and loss of use between owners and charterers, shippers / cargo owners, terminal operators,third parties
Disputes with agents, brokers, ship managers, stevedores, terminals or others supplying services to ships
Coverage or other disputes with marine insurers Employment claims or other disputes with crew members
Disputes with governmental or port state authorities, representation at official investigations.
There is no question that Hurricane Harvey, which first struck Texas on August 25, 2017, was a storm of catastrophic proportions. An event like Harvey and the associated force majeure declarations have the potential to impact the performance of transportation contracts such as charter parties and contracts of affreightment.
In order to effectively implement the IMO's global regulations on the limits of the sulphur content of marine fuel oil, China MSA announced the Implementation Plan of 2020 Global Marine Fuel Oil Sulphur Limits (hereinafter referred to as “The Plan”) on 23 October 2019. The Plan specifies the requirements on the ships’ use and carriage of fuel oil as well as alternative measures, reporting of information about the ships’ use and carriage of fuel oil, disposal of ships’ non‐compliant fuel oil, prior registration of bunker suppliers, as well as MSA’s supervision and administrative measures, etc. The Plan also includes the format of the Fuel Oil Non‐Availability Report (Hereinafter referred to as “FONAR”).
Reflecting on the destruction of demand the aviation and automobile industries have suffered in the wake of the pandemic it is widely acknowledged that jet and automotive fuels are now being utilised for blending marine fuels.
