For almost three months now, the spot freight rate for containerised goods shipped by sea from North Europe to the US East Coast has been 210% higher than last year (1 July – 23 Sept).
The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) targets for the use of zero or near-zero fuels in 2030 can be met using sustainable biofuels. Many different sectors will compete for those fuels, so shipping is focusing on transitioning to alternative green and blue fuels. Today, only 1% of bulk, container, and tanker ships are prepared for using these fuels and fuel availability is low.
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.