The aim of the tenth edition of this book is to provide those involved in handling shipping disputes with an overview of the key issues relevant to multiple jurisdictions. As with previous editions of The Shipping Law Review, we begin with cross-jurisdictional chapters looking at the latest developments in important areas for the shipping industry, including international trade sanctions, ocean logistics, offshore, piracy, shipbuilding, ports and terminals, marine insurance, environmental and regulatory issues, decommissioning and ship finance.
We have invited contributions on the law of leading maritime nations, including both major flag states and the countries in which most shipping companies are located. We also include chapters on the law of the major shipbuilding centres and a range of other jurisdictions.
Each of these jurisdictional chapters gives an overview of the procedures for handling shipping disputes, including arbitration, court litigation and any alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Jurisdiction, enforcement and limitation periods are all covered, as are the key provisions of local law in relation to shipbuilding contracts, contracts of carriage and cargo claims.
In addition, the authors address limitation of liability, including which parties can limit, which claims are subject to limitation and the circumstances in which the limits can be broken. Ship arrest procedure, which ships may be arrested, security and counter-security requirements, and the potential for wrongful arrest claims are also included. The authors review the vessel safety regimes in force in their respective countries, along with port state control and the operation of both registration and classification locally. The applicable environmental legislation in each jurisdiction is explained, as are the local rules in respect of collisions, wreck removal, salvage and recycling. Passenger and seafarer rights are also examined. The authors have then looked ahead and commented on what they believe are likely to be the most important developments in their jurisdiction in the coming year.
The shipping industry continues to be one of the most significant sectors worldwide, with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimating that the operation of merchant ships contributes about US$380 billion in freight rates to the global economy, amounting to about 5 per cent of global trade overall. The significance of maritime logistics in facilitating trade and development has become increasingly apparent in the past year. Heightened and unstable freight rates, port closures, congestion and evolving shipping requirements as a result of covid-19 and the Ukraine conflict have all had far reaching effects beyond the shipping sector itself. As the international shipping industry is responsible for the carriage of over 80 per cent of world trade, with over 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, the elevated shipping expenses and challenges to global logistics we have experienced this year have exacerbated inflation and supply chain disruptions, adding to the ongoing global crisis and hampering the maritime industry’s covid-19 recovery. We have seen global maritime trade, which plunged by approximately 4 per cent in 2020, recover at an estimated rate of 3.2 per cent. In 2021, shipments reached 11 billion tonnes, a value slightly below pre-pandemic levels.
The disruption caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have brought to the fore the importance of the maritime industry and our dependence on ships to transport supplies. The law of shipping remains as interesting as the sector itself, and the contributions to this book continue to reflect that.
We would like to thank all the contributors for their assistance in producing this edition of The Shipping Law Review. We hope this volume will continue to provide a useful source of information for those in the industry handling cross-jurisdictional shipping disputes.
Download the 689 page book in pdf format: The Shipping Law Review
