Insights

The Club has learned that a number of ships loaded with Australian coal are experiencing significant delays in receiving authorisation to discharge in Chinese ports. It has been suggested that the discharge of Australian cargoes is being restricted in China, but no official policy has been published, at the time of writing.   

LMAA discourages disorganised bundles and lengthy witness statements. The Chairman of the LMAA has issued informal guidance in relation to some aspects of arbitration proceedings.

The Supreme Court has handed down an eagerly-awaited judgment setting out the approach to be taken in ascertaining the law governing arbitration agreements, providing clarity to the question of which system of law should govern the validity and scope of an arbitration agreement in circumstances where the governing law of the contract is different from the law of the nominated seat of arbitration (Enka Insaat Ve Sanayi A.S. v OOO Insurance Company Chubb [2020] UKSC 38).  

The English High Court has recently handed down judgment in the “Eternal Bliss,” providing a firm answer to a long-standing question concerning the availability of damages where a ship is on demurrage.

Due to the reduced demand during the Covid-19 pandemic for both road transportation and aviation fuels, it appears that these fuels are being used as blending agents in marine fuels.