Hong Kong office closure- Monday 12th June
12/06/2017
Please note the Hong Kong offices is closed today due to a Typhoon.
The UK P&I Club have received the attached MSA notice regarding special safety supervision work on ships entering Xiamen.
The UK Club has received the following update from lawyers Wang Jing and Co, regarding an additional special safety and security inspection required for ships calling for Xiamen Port from 1 June 2017 to 5 September 2017.
In order to help our Members manage the risk of fishing vessel collisions and to learn from these often tragic events, we have worked with experts in fisheries and aquaculture to produce a guide for Masters and their Bridge teams on how to reduce the risk of collisions with fishing vessels.
According to information released by Fujian MSA, four maritime incidents occurred in the past week along the coast of Fujian province, all of which resulted from poor visibility during navigation in fog.
China ECA'S update
15/03/2017
China MSA have strengthened enforcement of the low sulphur fuel regulation (with sulphur contents no more than 0.5%) at all 11 core ports since 1 January 2017.
Zika virus update- March 17
10/03/2017
The MEC is no longer required for vessels calling from Zika affected countries/areas.
A permanent fishing ban in all 279 aquatic reserves along the Yangtze River has begun, as China races to revive the flagging ecosystem of its largest river.
The Ministry of Transport ("MOT") of China has issued a formal notice on the revision of its Provisions on Prevention of Marine Environmental Pollution Caused by Ships and Their Related Operations.
China - Time Bars
17/01/2017
The General Principles of Civil Law of China provides that a general 2-year time bar is applicable for civil claims (Art. 135, The General Principles of Civil Law). The time bar starts counting from the day on which the claimant knows or ought to know that his right is infringed (Art. 137, The General Principles of Civil Law). Under no circumstance should a People's Court support a claim which has exceeded 20 years from the date when the right is infringed.
China has ratified the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007 and the Convention will enter into force in China from 11 February 2017. The Chinese MSA published a notice on the application procedure for WRC Certificates.
China Ratifies the Wreck Removal Convention
12/01/2017
China has ratified the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007 and the Convention will enter into force in China from 11 February 2017.
China ECAs Summary
30/11/2016
From 1st January 2017, all the key ports (i.e. Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Huanghua, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Suzhou and Nantong ) within the three China ECAs will implement the low sulphur bunker requirements. Please see attached the latest circular published by Huatai Insurance Agency & Consultant Service Ltd.
The Club has been informed of a rise in the number of attempted thefts from Vessels in the anchorage of Tianjin Port, China
The People’s Republic of China ratified the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (“MLC”) on 12 November 2015, which was the 68th State to ratify the Convention. The Convention came into force in China on 12 November 2016, one year after the ratification.
Insight Course- Asia
30/09/2016
The Thomas Miller Hong Kong office held an “Insight” course on P&I and Defence cover on 29th & 30th September 2016 as a direct response to requests for member training. Delegates included members and brokers from Hong Kong, the Philippines and Korea and also a guest from Zambia, Daniella Smal, who is this year’s Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year, an award sponsored by the TT Club.
China SPROs Updated IG FAQs - 8 January 2014
08/01/2014
The International Group FAQs in respect of China's pollution regulations have been revised at 8th January 2014 and replace the previous edition.
The International Group (IG) has liaised further with the China MSA, and with various ship pollution response organisations (SPROs), Shipowners and other interested parties in order to clarify a number of issues and to work towards ensuring, so far as possible, that there are suitable contractual arrangements in place to permit Members to be able to comply with the Regulations as easily and efficiently as possible.