United Kingdom: Marine/ Shipping

A cross-firm team has successfully completed the Defence Marine Services (DMS) programme for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The programme, spanning over six years, involved competitive and single...

The UK Government is consulting on a revised Ports National Policy Statement (NPS), updating the 2012 version to reflect changes in legislation, trade, technology...

Global supply chains are in the midst of major turmoil, driven by an intensifying trade tension and a new wave of tariffs. On April 2nd, 2025, the U.S. Administration announced a significant shift in U.S. trade policy...

A recent ruling clarified that slot charterers, including Maersk and Bengal Tiger Line, qualify as "charterers" under Article 1(2) of the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, allowing them to limit liability for losses.

The Star Axe I LLC v. Royal and Sun Alliance Luxembourg S.A. decision challenges the long-standing interpretation of the Congenbill 1994 clause incorporating the 1994 York-Antwerp Rules (YAR). The court ruled that the clause actually includes the 2016 YAR, potentially disrupting previous GA assessments and raising risks related to the YAR 2016's one-year time bar. This ruling could lead to significant legal uncertainties in general average claims.

The UK Law Commission's 2023 review of the Arbitration Act 1996 recommends limited reforms, including simplified rules on arbitration agreement law, empowering arbitrators for summary awards, and restricting jurisdiction challenges, aiming to enhance arbitration efficiency and clarity...

On 12 September 2024, the UK Government introduced the Trade, Aircraft and Shipping Sanctions (Civil Enforcement) Regulations 2024, empowering the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation to enforce sanctions with civil penalties, effective 10 October 2024.

The UK introduced new regulations granting OTSI and DfT the power to impose strict liability civil penalties for trade, aircraft, and shipping sanctions violations, with significant fines and enforcement measures effective October 2024.

The judgment of Christopher Hancock KC in the case of Yangtze Navigation (Asia) Co Ltd & anor v. TPT Shipping Ltd & ors (The "Xing Zhi Hai") [2024] EWHC 2371 (Comm), handed down on 18 September 2024...