The two main legislative developments in the EU which will have an impact for many in the industry in the year to come are: the expansion of the EU ETS and the introduction of the FUEM. EU ETS From January 2025, the scope of the EU ETS will expand further to include offshore vessels over 5,000 GT which call at EU ports. New challenges also remain for the vessels which have been subject to the EU ETS since 2024 in the next stage of compliance with the scheme: the emissions ...

Autonomous ships have the potential to significantly enhance the efficiency of global supply chains by streamlining operations, reducing human error and optimizing routes. These vessels, equipped with advanced navigation systems and artificial intelligence (AI), can operate around the clock without the need for rest periods, allowing for faster and more reliable deliveries. By eliminating the need for large crews, autonomous ships also reduce operational costs and free up space for additional cargo. Additionally, their ability to automatically adjust routes based on real-time data, such as weather patterns or port congestion, ...

This article will reflect on the recent decision of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issued on 13 November 2024 within Fimbank Plc v KCH Shipping Co Ltd (“The Giant Ace”). An overview of the Hague-Visby Rules will provide analysis based upon recent case law in the United Kingdom, and discuss the implications for the trade finance sector. In the recent case of The Giant Ace, a trade finance bank was prevented from exercising a claim for mis-delivery against the carrier of the cargo. The bank was the lawful ...

In the recent decision in Lord Marine Co SA -v- Vimeksim SRB DOO (Lord Hassan) [2024] EWHC 3305 (Comm), which the court has described as a paradigm case in which a sale should be ordered, the court has further considered its powers in support of arbitral proceedings and, specifically, its ability to order the sale of goods to preserve assets. In this instance, the shipowner applied for the sale of cargo liened to secure claims against their charterers for unpaid freight. The cargo in question was perishable in nature and ...

As we move into 2025 and the Trump Administration prepares to take control of the government, marine terminal operators are anxiously and optimistically awaiting resolution of the labor disputes between terminal operator management, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), and the 45,000 union dockworkers on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, represented by the International Labor Association (ILA). A key remaining battleground in the labor disputes – aside from pay and benefit issues, which appear to be largely resolved by a 62 percent wage increase after ...

Shearwater Law, the global maritime and commodities law firm, has appointed David Richards as a Director in its Maritime Practice Group, bringing nearly two decades of expertise in maritime law and P&I claims management to the firm’s expanding team. David joins Shearwater Law following his role as Deputy Global Head of P&I Claims and Head of Legal & Expertise at an IG P&I Club, where he oversaw global mutual P&I claims and led the club’s expertise teams. His extensive experience spans complex maritime casualties, legal disputes, and claims management across ...

Global law firm Clyde & Co is continuing investment in its maritime finance offering to clients, with the hire of financing specialist Clemens Hillmer who has joined the firm’s Hamburg maritime practice as partner. He joined together with counsel Jan Mommsen and of counsel Tilman Stein on 1 January 2025. Clemens specialises in financing and other transportation transactions. He joins with his team from Watson, Farley & Williams where he headed the firm’s German Assets & Structured Finance Group. Clemens and his team advise on asset and other structured financing, leasing transactions, restructurings, insolvencies and workouts, ...

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike in October 2024 sent ripples through the global shipping industry, affecting operations, logistics and supply chains worldwide. As we look toward 2025, understanding the implications of both this labor action and the threat of another strike if an agreement between United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the ILA is not reached by Jan. 15, 2025, is crucial for stakeholders across the maritime sector. One of the main issues to resolve includes the modernization and automation of major East and Gulf Coast ports, which the ...

Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC) has announced that Kate Law and Neil Jackson have become directors in the international maritime law firm with effect from 1 January 2025. Bringing the number of CJC partners to 22, across offices in London, Newcastle, Singapore and Miami, the appointments exemplify the company’s commitment to promoting from within. Now one of the leading firms focusing solely on maritime law and celebrating 15 years of practice this year, CJC’s scope covers, marine casualty investigations, shipping litigation, marine insurance and international trade as well as corporate, transactional ...

Maritime trade constitutes a major part of the global economy as one of the important trade routes. Considering all commercial transport activities, the fact that approximately 85% of them are carried out by maritime routes emphasizes the importance of maritime trade. Thus, maritime trade routes have a strategic value. In particular, the Black Sea, where the ports of Russia and Ukraine are located, has been a critical region throughout history. Both countries are indispensable in the production and export of agricultural products, and their wheat exports in particular account for ...

According to the World Economic Forum, with around 90% of all trade being ocean-based, close to 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas footprint comes from seagoing vessels. The shipping industry is determined to accelerate its efforts to meet the Global Maritime Forum’s goal of ending fossil fuel consumption by 2050, although opinions about how to achieve this differ. At COP28, CEOs of the five largest shipping companies made a joint declaration demanding deadlines for stopping orders of fossil fuel-only powered newbuilds. This leaves the question of what to do instead. ...

As the United States nears its 250-year celebration, what is old may be new again in the shipyard space. The uptick in shipyard-related legal and regulatory work during the Biden Administration has been notable and is expected to exponentially increase in the second Trump Administration. The shipping industry in this country is acutely aware that shipbuilding, once a thriving sector with over 300 American shipyards in the early 1980s, has, through closings and consolidations, shrunk to roughly 20 private and public shipyards today.1 Those shipyards are teeming with orderbooks for ...

The new rules form part of the EU’s persistent drive to reduce GHG emissions within the European airspace and they will introduce a new set of obligations and compliance requirements for the shipping sector. From a practical perspective, the key concern for maritime stakeholders operating in Europe will be to understand in what measure the new Regulation will impact their shipping and commercial operations. In this new six-part bi-weekly series, we take a detailed look at Regulation (EU) 2023/1805, examining its scope, gradual implementation timeline, the obligations and compliance mechanisms ...

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised UniCredit on the financing and delivery for the Italy headquartered ferry company Caronte & Tourist. The financing is in relation to the motor vessel named Pietro Mondello which is a Ro Pax vessel built at the Turkish shipyard Sefine Denizcililk Turizm. The financing is supported by SACE’s ‘Green’ guarantee. The Norton Rose Fulbright team advising UniCredit on the negotiating, drafting and signing of the entire financial documentation, as well as SACE, was led by Milan-based banking partner Gennaro Mazzuoccolo who was supported ...

Two Greek shipping companies pleaded guilty and were sentenced today for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), falsifying records and obstruction of justice. The charges arose out of two United States port calls in which crew members of the Motor Tanker Kriti Ruby presented false records to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to conceal illegal transfers and discharges of oily bilge water from the vessel. As part of the plea, Avin International Ltd. and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises were ordered to pay a criminal fine of ...