QCR Summer 2020: Obligations with regard to security under intermediate LOIs

On 27th April 2020, the English High Court (Mr Justice Teare) gave guidance on the requirements imposed by International Group LOI wordings and the position of intermediate parties in an LOI chain, in circumstances where an LOI is given to enable cargo to be delivered without production of the original Bill of Lading.

Piracy is a big problem in the Gulf of Guinea but local laws and enforcement practices make it difficult for vessels to call at ports in the region with foreign armed guards onboard, and some countries prohibit local armed guards from boarding foreign commercial vessels.

The Club have received a further update on the current sitaution in Ghana, advising that Ghana Port Health have now suspended mandatory Covid-19 vaccination and associated fines.

Shipowners, operators and Masters should be aware that AMSA will be conducting a focused inspection campaign on planned maintenance from 15 January to 30 March 2022 for the purposes of determining compliance with maintenance requirements of international conventions.