TT Talk

The Container Owners Association is organising its 2nd Reefer Forum in Singapore on Thursday 9 February.   The TT Club urges those in Asia who own, operate or maintain reefer containers to seek to participate if they are able to do so. The day will provide an overview of the exploding reefers situation and of emerging good practice relating to gas management and testing procedures.

In a joint briefing, the Container Owners Association (COA) and the TT Club set out a synopsis of the exploding reefers situation and provide a clear call to action for the industry in order to eliminate counterfeit gas supply from the reefer container industry. The situation continues to develop and further information will be released once available.

The Somali situation is politically charged, but has very practical implications throughout the industry.

The TT Club was recently asked about the practical workings of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Does a breach of security at a port or terminal result in non-compliance with the Code, leading to 'contamination' of any ships calling at the facility? Not so, we believe!

The growth in air/sea movements involving China has reinvigorated a practice that has supported certain supply chains historically. The TT Club has responded to this by designing an Air/Sea Waybill fit for purpose.

The matter of sanctions continues to be an important and complex topic for anyone involved in international trade: buyers, sellers, carriers - and insurers. This article covers recent changes concerning Iran and Syria.

A news item from last winter said, “With the accumulation of sleet, rain and freezing rain, many roofs have been unable to bear the additional rain-saturated snow”. Before you sit next to your warm fire, have you made appropriate preparations?

The availability and use of ‘personal electronic devices’ is widespread. Do you have a clear policy concerning if, when and how such devices may be used? Is it understood by all staff and visitors, and is it strictly enforced?

Is misdeclaration of dangerous goods ever acceptable in the second decade of the 21st century?

We promised to provide feedback from the survey in ‘The 21st century Plimsoll issue’

As a leading liability insurer for the international logistics industry, the TT Club is aware of a significant percentage of cargo movements that go wrong. And it is clear that a major cause of things going wrong is a misunderstanding of or non-compliance with basic principles at the very outset of the supply chain.

A downside of containerisation is that normally nobody sees the contents of the container from the time it is sealed until its ultimate destination. As a result the,correct packing, stowage and securing of the cargo inside the container is vital to maintaining the integrity of the cargo during its journey and avoiding damage and possible injury on the way.

Claims investigations following a recent cargo theft claim reveal the risk exposure in utilising subcontractors without carrying out effective due diligence. Beware!

It can be difficult for a shipping line or other container operator to determine whether a missing container has been stolen or merely lost in the system. In many cases it can be a simple incorrect data entry in a container inventory; at some point, the missing container number re-surfaces in the control system and will be accounted for again. But when should an alert be raised?

A group of leading liner operators have put their heads together to identify the root causes of accidents

The requirement to verify declared weight could fundamentally impact safety through the supply chain.

Can any marine terminal afford not to invest in electronic anti-collision sensors for their quay cranes? TT Club members can receive a 7% discount on the cost of sensors.

 1. Forthcoming amendments to ADR and RID 2. European Union 24-hour Security Rule (Electronic Entry and Exit Summary Declarations) 3. The Importance of Regular Structural Examanitions of Quay Cranes.

1. Mis-release of Shipments by Transport Operators and Ocean Carriers 2. IMDG Code Revision.

    1. US COGSA and the Shipping Act trump Carmack   We are delighted to dedicate TT Talk Edition 132 to an article by Peter Clark (who is a Partner in the New York maritime law firm of Clark, Atcheson & Reisert) on the United States Supreme Court judgment (‘opinion’) in Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd v Regal Beloit Corp (21 June 2010) and the order in Sompo Japan Insurance Company of America v Norfolk Southern Railroad (28 June 2010). Peter Clark has been (and still is) involved in litigation on the conflict between US COGSA and Carmack in the District Court of the Southern District of New York and the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He shows that Regal Beloit relies heavily on Norfolk Southern Railway v Kirby (2004) and reminds us that NVOCCs and Ocean Carriers who issue bills of lading are regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission under the Shipping Act of 1984. For previous items on the conflict between US COGSA and Carmack, please see TT Talk Editions 114 (23 January 2009) and 117 (24 March 2009). Peter Clark’s article is aimed at anyone involved in combined (‘through’) carriage of goods to (or from!) the United States.

1. Wind storm - are you prepared? 2. Safety Alert - Serious Injury from Sudden Depressurisation of Lift Truck Tyre 3. Safety warning over ship's crane 4. Dangerous Goods Declarations and Material Safety Data Sheets

    1. Supply chain security - new handbook 2. A problem with flatracks 3. Container corner fitting failures 4. Good practice in handling packaged dangerous goods

    1. Icelandic volcano disrupts air cargoes – TT Club’s initial advice

    1. ICHCA International 2010 Biennial Conference 2. US advice on carriage of batteries for recycling 3. Looking at shipper responsibilities 4. Delivery under a ‘Straight’ bill of lading under Canadian law

    1. Delivery under ‘Straight’ bills of lading under United States law

    1. Snow danger above - US East & North East in particular

    1. US ‘10+2’ Rule - fully enforced per 26 January 2010 2. Rejection of claims which are not in electronic form? 3. New edition of COA Recommended Code of Practice for Flexitanks 4. Text of new IATA air waybill conditions of contract 5. Responsibility for accurate weight declaration in containers

1. US sanctions against Iran - list of 'blocked' vessels 2. IATA adjusts air waybill form 3. Rechargeable batteries pose greater risk 4. Hong Kong - how can a carrier limit liability for misdelivery? 5. TT club and ICHCA International welcome mandatory IMDG code training.

1. Rotterdam Rules - status of signatures and ‘instruments’   2. Montreal Convention 1999 - increase of liability limit from 17 SDR to 19 SDR per kg 3. Crane Safety - towards a baseline standard Montreal Convention 1999 - increase of liability limit from 17 SDR to 19 SDR per kg

    1. Venezuela - Fines on containers 2. Crane collapse at Southampton - information update 3. German Commercial Code contains no liability limit for loss or damage to goods during warehousing 4. Thomas Miller course ‘An insight into transport law and insurance’