Q&A with Nick Fell, Chairperson of BIMCO’s Documentary Committee

Nick Fell of BW Group was officially elected Chair of the Documentary Committee at BIMCO’s General Meeting on 20 May last year. When Fell took over, the industry was in many ways still confronted with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic while, at the same time, the need for contractual solutions in key areas such as environmental compliance was growing. Below, Fell answers seven questions about his and the Committees work

Addressing underwater noise from ships - new revised guidelines agreed

The focus on underwater radiated noise (URN) from shipping has increased significantly during the past few years. Consequently, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided to increase the awareness to the subject by issuing updated non-mandatory IMO Guidelines with the aim to monitoring the impact of URN from shipping to ascertain the efficacy of various mitigation solutions

Does the 1.1% m/m decline in US retail sales spell more trouble for container volumes?

“Despite falling 1.1% m/m in both November and December, US retail sales volumes remain 13% above 2019 levels and 6% higher than the pre-COVID trend. However, sales volumes could return to trend during 2023 and thereby pose a risk for Asia to North America container volumes,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO

Liquid cargo of the month - Creosote (coal tar) (amended)

The BIMCO Liquid Cargo database is intended for use by for shore-side staff and to some extent for newcomers on board tankers and should only be used as a reference tool providing brief information regarding the more than 300 of the commonly transported liquid cargoes including Creosote (coal tar) (amended)

Sale & Purchase Masterclass Online

13-17 February, 2 x 60 minute sessions daily

This course examines the mechanisms and processes behind the sale and purchase of vessels. Participants will be taught by a hand-picked industry experts, Paul Herring and Simon Ward who have built careers out of solving complicated issues related to sale and purchase of ships. They will share their valuable experiences and point participants toward practical solutions which can be used directly on the job

Carriage Contracts, Liabilities and Cargo Claims Masterclass Online
13-17 February, 2 x 75 minute sessions daily

This course covers the legal relationships created by the sale contract, the charter party and the insurance contract, who is the “carrier” and what if the vessel is chartered - and why is it important? A complete overview of the international conventions affecting cargo claims, working with different types of insurance to mitigate and cover risks, understand the concepts of seaworthiness, cargo worthiness and due diligence and the different interests of shippers, receivers, freight forwarders, traders, banks, carriers and insurers when cargo is lost, damaged or delayed

WEBINAR: 15+15: Sanctions Risks: Lessons learned from recent enforcement actions

Wednesday 15 February, 13:00 UTC

Saskia Rietbroek, Executive Director at the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS), will touch upon, the most important compliance missteps and practical steps you can take to avoid ending up at the wrong end of an enforcement action for inadvertent complicity in sanctions breaches