Author: Miriam Bailey
London Arbitration 21/21
Tricon Dry Chemicals LLC v Global Petro Converge – SMA 4391, 17 Jul 2020
PURCHASE CONTRACTS – FORCE MAJEURE – TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE CLAUSE – LOSS OF PROFITS – CALCULATION OF DAMAGES
When Respondent failed to ship purchased cargoes in a timely manner, Claimant charged the Respondent failed to perform its obligations under two separate purchase contracts and sought damages, interest, legal, and arbitration fees. Respondent claimed force majeure for changes in Saudi Arabian export laws and delays due to the holy month of Ramadan and Eid holiday.
London Arbitration 15/21
DEMURRAGE – BERTH OPERATOR RULES (UBT) – COMMENCE OF LAYTIME – DESPATCH
Owner claimed demurrage was due to delays at the Davant, Mississippi, loading port and cited the charterparty. Charterer countered Owner owed despatch and that UBT Rules as incorporated into the fixture superseded the charterparty.
London Arbitration 20/21
NORGRAIN – CHANGE IN DISCHARGE PORT NOMINATION – OWNERS CLAIM FREIGHT FOR TRANSPORT TO FIRST PORT NOMINATED– ESTOPPEL – UNJUST ENRICHMENT
The vessel was chartered on an amended Norgrain form to transport a cargo of soybeans from Brazil to China. Discharge port(s) were nominated during the voyage and subsequently changed. The owner asserted the first ports nominated were binding and freight payable basis same although the vessel did not complete passage to these ports and instead discharged cargo at another port.
London Arbitration 9/22
AMENDED NYPE – OFF HIRE – FAILURE TO PRESENT CLEAN HOLDS – DAMAGES FOR FAILURE TO PRESENT CLEAN HOLDS – RATE OF OFF-HIRE – BREACH OF CHARTERPARTY
The vessel was chartered on an amended NYPE form for a charter trip. Off-hire was claimed for failure to provide clean holds, and the rate of off-hire contested. Charterer also sought damages for breach of the charterparty due to rejection of the holds.
London Arbitration 6/22
NYPE FORM – TIME CHARTER – HOLD CLEANING – OFF HIRE DURING EXTENDED HOLD CLEANING – COVID-19 PANDEMIC – COVID-19 PROTOCOLS – OFF HIRE DUE TO ALLEGED CREW SICKNESS
Two disputes for off-hire developed on a one time, time charter trip from India to China relating to extended hold cleaning and alleged crew sickness.
London Arbitration 4/22
NYPE FORM – TIME CHARTER – PANDEMIC – COVID-19 PROTOCOLS – OFF HIRE – PUT BACK – DELAY – DEFAULT OF MASTER – BREACH OF CHARTER
A standoff between a vessel and pilot company over owners’ Covid-19 protocols and pilots boarding resulted in a delay to berth of almost nine days. The owners added the lost time to their final account and the charterers filed a counterclaim, citing off-hire and put back.