Archive

The release of SALEFORM 2025 represents a further step in the continued evolution of standard documentation for ship sale and purchase transactions. Developed jointly by the Norwegian Shipbrokers’ Association (NSA) and BIMCO, the 2025 edition reflects accumulated market experience, regulatory and legal developments and evolving transactional practices, while maintaining a structure familiar to users of previous editions. Scope of the Revision Rather than a complete […]

DMC/SandT/26/10 England Mr Dam Van Minh v Da Guang Tankers (Private) Limited (in liquidation) and Ocean Tankers (Private) Limited (in liquidation) (The “Ocean Unicorn”) English Admiralty Court: Admiralty Registrar Davison: [2026] EWHC 793 (Admlty): 2 April 2026: for the full note on the case, follow this link: Mr Dam Van Minh v Da Guang Tankers (Private) Limited (in liquidation) and Ocean Tankers (Private) Limited (in liquidation) (The […]

NCTAD: why the early-year surge in merchandise trade will not last By Carly Fields Merchandised trade entered this year on an unexpectedly strong footing, propelled by high-tech manufacturing and containerised shipping across the Pacific. However, beneath the surface of these strong early performance indicators is a more fragile reality, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In its newest report, Trade and […]

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a new International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code) to support the safe integration of AI-enabled and remotely operated commercial ships into global shipping.  The MASS Code sets out a comprehensive, goal-based framework to ensure that remotely controlled or autonomous ships are designed and operated to a level of safety, security and environmental protection […]

Periods of armed conflict and geopolitical disruption inevitably prompt questions about whether charterparties can be brought to an end under the English law doctrine of frustration. With continuing disruption, heightened security risk and delay affecting shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, shipowners and charterers may be considering whether current fixtures have been, or may yet become, frustrated by delay.   Under English law, frustration remains an exceptional remedy. The bar is deliberately high, […]

The term Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier was formally defined under the US Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. § 40102).. This Act codified the NVOCC as an operator that issues its own bills of lading and accepts carrier liability without owning or operating vessels..The NVOCC has evolved into one of the most commercially versatile roles in container shipping worldwide.. How does the NVOCC model work in practice..?? […]

The publication “Unsafe Port Claims 2026” prepared by UK Defence Club examines one of the most important legal issues in maritime shipping — the responsibility for sending a vessel to an unsafe port. The guide explains how unsafe port disputes arise, what legal principles apply, and how shipowners and charterers can protect themselves from financial and operational risks. A central topic of the publication is […]

There are reports that some vessels due to transit the Suez are diverting round the Cape of Good Hope influenced by the (unofficial) closing of the Straits of Hormuz due to the US-Iran conflict. It is important not to assume that there is an automatic right to do this or indeed to cancel the charterparty altogether. As always, much depends on the wordings of the War […]

The Admiralty Court’s recent decision in The Happy Aras [2026] EWHC 7 (Admlty) is a clear reminder to shipowners and operators that a competent crew is an integral component of a vessel’s seaworthiness. Lack of skill, training or instruction may lead to casualties, with liability falling on the shipowner. Background The “Happy Aras” (the Vessel) grounded while she was transiting the Datca Peninsula, off the Turkish […]

Remember the Evergiven choking the Suez Canal? Cargo owners worldwide suddenly discovered what “general average” really meant when they received unexpected nine-figure bills. The Strait of Hormuz tensions? Shippers learned the hard way how “matters affecting performance” Bill of Lading clause can strand their goods indefinitely with zero carrier liability.These aren’t theoretical risks buried in legal fine print. A standard bill of lading clause can silently transfer […]