As reported in the Association’s circulars of 5 November and 23 December 2014, the WRC enters into force on 14 April 2015. The 23 December circular (which can be accessed by clicking here) included information on the WRC States that had, at that date, agreed in principle to assist shipowners by issuing certificates to ships flagged in countries that are not party to the Convention.
News Alerts
We issue News and other Alerts to keep members posted about developments at the Club and other industry news. Please see our latest Alerts below.
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19 January 2015
16 January 2015
Members may be aware from news reports of an escalation of civil strife within Libya. Until recently, this was not thought to affect the safety of vessels calling at Libyan ports. However, in early January the tanker “Araevo” was attacked by the Libyan Airforce at the port of Derna (for a report of the incident, please click here) and Lloyds List report that a second tanker was attacked yesterday at the port of Misrata.
16 January 2015
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), in the final paragraph of a Circular issued yesterday, has alerted shipowners to an increased risk of attack in the approaches to, and in, the Suez Canal.
15 January 2015
Members will be aware of the ongoing sanctions regarding export of Iranian crude oil from previous News Alerts (click here and here). Whilst a temporary suspension of certain sanctions (currently until 30 June 2015) is in place, including for the export of Iranian crude oil, the suspension in relation to crude only applies to the carriage from Iran to US waiver countries outside the EU (currently China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey).
7 January 2015
Members may be aware from recent press reports of the recent total loss of the “Bulk Jupiter”, which capsized and sank off Vietnam. 18 men are feared to have lost their lives in the casualty. At the time of the incident the ship was bound for China with a cargo of bauxite loaded in Kuantan, Malaysia.
19 December 2014
As from 1 January 2015, all ocean going vessels travelling within the Emission Control Areas (the “ECAs” as defined in the MARPOL Convention, including the English Channel, Baltic Sea, North Sea, North American and US Caribbean Sea areas) must use fuel oil with less than 0.1% sulphur. The controls apply to all fuel oil, defined in MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 2.
27 October 2014
Members will already be aware of the risk of, and the precautions to be taken against, the spread of the Ebola virus, as outlined in the Club’s News Alert dated 8 August 2014 (click here). Members have an important role to play in this regard and in helping to ensure that there remains, as the World Health Organisation has recommended, no ban on international travel or trade.
7 October 2014
The Correspondent in Ukraine, Dias Marine Consulting, has indicated that disproportionate fines are being imposed upon vessels calling at Nikolaev Sea Port. The Correspondent reports that Customs Authorities are performing surveys of vessels’ bunker tanks during inward clearance and where the survey indicates a difference to the figure previously declared by the Master, the subject vessel receives a heavy fine for alleged contraband.
11 September 2014
Members trading to China and entering into contracts with Chinese entities may already be familiar with the legal requirement to pay tax on sums due from international transportation. Previously the legal requirement was not fully codified and not rigorously enforced.
10 September 2014
Members will already be aware of the risks and precautions to be taken in relation to the Ebola virus affecting some West African countries, see the Club’s News Alert (click here). Members should note that we have been advised by the Budd Group, who have offices in a number of African countries, that all Sierra Leone ports will be closed from 19 to 21 September 2014.