Novel Coronavirus outbreak – check your charter party terms
24 January 2020An outbreak of a virulent disease such as the Novel Coronavirus can have potentially significant implications for ship owners and operators.
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An outbreak of a virulent disease such as the Novel Coronavirus can have potentially significant implications for ship owners and operators.
With the aim to keep our members updated on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, BIMCO has reached out to Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) to obtain the guidance they provide to inspectors of the Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE) and Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID).
The sanctions landscape has grown increasingly complex since BIMCO published its Sanctions Clause for Time Charter Parties in 2010. International sanctions regimes are constantly changing with new restrictions being added and new persons and entities being listed. A violation of sanctions restrictions can have severe consequences and in the worst cases can lead to parties being listed as sanctioned parties. Therefore, carefully worded sanctions clauses in charter parties and other contracts are vital for internationally trading companies to help them manage and mitigate their sanctions risk and to enable them to continue to do business while remaining compliant with the various sanctions regimes. This clause is intended for use in all trades except for container trades. A separate sanctions clause for the container trades is under development. This clause was published on 19 December 2019. It replaces the Sanctions Clause for Time Charter Parties 2010 and the Designated Entities Clause for Charter Parties 2013 (which have been combined to make a new single clause for ease of incorporation).
The sanctions landscape has grown increasingly complex since BIMCO published its Sanctions Clause for Time Charter Parties in 2010 and the Designated Entities Clause for Charter Parties in 2013. International sanctions regimes are constantly changing with new restrictions being added and new persons and entities being listed. A violation of sanctions restrictions can have severe consequences and in the worst cases can lead to parties being listed as sanctioned parties. Therefore, carefully worded sanctions clauses in charter parties and other contracts are vital for internationally trading companies to help them manage and mitigate their sanctions risk and to enable them to continue to do business while remaining compliant with the various sanctions regimes. The absence of a standard BIMCO sanctions clause for voyage charter parties has resulted in owners and charterers amending the BIMCO Sanctions Clause for Time Charter Parties or drafting bespoke clauses. BIMCO has therefore developed this sanctions clause for use in voyage charter parties so that there is an industry standard clause. It is intended to provide a balanced allocation of the risks posed by sanctions as between owners and charterers. This clause is intended for use in all trades except for container trades. A separate sanctions clause for the container trades is under development. This clause was published on 19 December 2019. It is a sanctions clause that also covers issues related to designated entities previously found in BIMCO’s Designated Entities Clause for Charter Parties 2013. This new sanctions clause should be used instead of the old Designated Entities Clause.
The NATO Shipping Centre maintains a 24/7/365 oversight of security developments in the Euro-Atlantic area, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Shipowners are reminded of the Voluntary Reporting Scheme for the Mediterranean Sea.
The sanctions landscape has grown increasingly complex. International sanctions regimes are constantly changing with new restrictions being added and new persons and entities being listed. A violation of sanctions restrictions can have severe consequences and in the worst cases can lead to parties being listed as sanctioned parties. Therefore, carefully worded sanctions clauses in contracts of affreightment are vital for internationally trading companies to help them manage and mitigate their sanctions risk and to enable them to continue to do business while remaining compliant with the various sanctions regimes.
The sanctions landscape for the container trade has grown increasingly complex over the past decade. To provide the container industry with a bespoke contractual solution that addresses the practical and commercial realities of the liner trade BIMCO has developed a Sanctions Clause for Container Vessel Time Charter Parties 2020.
BIMCO has received numerous enquiries from members uncertain about how the Novel Coronavirus outbreak will impact contracts. The following includes some general remarks, but it is important to evaluate carefully each situation on its own merits.
Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has issued an update to its COVID-19 bulletin, which gives further guidance on Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE)/Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID) inspections.
The threshold for invoking BIMCO’s Infectious or Contagious Diseases (IOCD) Clauses is necessarily set at a high level to avoid misuse. The two clauses, one for time and the other for voyage charters, are designed to respond to extreme outbreaks of diseases and not just “everyday” illnesses.