General Average Clause

Protective Clauses

24 Feb Ukraine situation – contractual implications

This short guide highlights some of the key issues that may affect the obligations and rights of contracting parties following developments in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, with a focus on BIMCO clauses. In all circumstances, parties should carefully review their contractual terms for current and future fixtures and, if in any doubt, seek legal advice before acting.

Ukraine situation – contractual implications

This short guide highlights some of the key issues that may affect the obligations and rights of contracting parties following developments in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, with a focus on BIMCO clauses. In all circumstances, parties should carefully review their contractual terms for current and future fixtures and, if in any doubt, seek legal advice before acting.

24 Feb Ukraine situation – contractual implications

This short guide highlights some of the key issues that may affect the obligations and rights of contracting parties following developments in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, with a focus on BIMCO clauses. In all circumstances, parties should carefully review their contractual terms for current and future fixtures and, if in any doubt, seek legal advice before acting.

Sanctions Clause for Time Charter Parties 2020

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).

NATO Shipping Centre is ready to assist shipping with information and advice

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.

Changes to specialist General Average Clauses

At its meeting in Rome in June 2017, the Documentary Committee agreed that specialist provisions dealing with the mechanics of General Average should be modified to ensure consistency with user requirements and market arrangements.

Philippines - General Santos

General Average: York-Antwerp Rules 2016

BIMCO documents currently contain general average clauses that refer either to the York-Antwerp Rules (YAR) 1994 or, to a lesser extent, the YAR 1974. BIMCO’s recommendation in respect of new and revised charter parties, bills of lading and waybills has so far been that general average should be adjusted in accordance with the YAR 1994. A new set of YAR 2016 was adopted by the Assembly of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) at its 42nd International Conference held from 3rd to 6th May 2016 in New York. As the YAR 2016 are considered to represent a set of Rules that BIMCO could refer to in its standard documents, BIMCO’s Documentary Committee decided, at its meeting on 10th May 2016, that all new and revised BIMCO charter parties, bills of lading and waybills will now refer to general average being adjusted in accordance with the York-Antwerp Rules 2016. References to earlier versions of the YAR in existing BIMCO documents will gradually be replaced by a reference to the YAR 2016 in the online versions of these documents.