TT Talk Edition 84 - 19/05/2006

This judgment sets out a useful analysis of contracts where a court will examine the conduct of the parties and surrounding circumstances to reach a conclusion. Carriers should be alerted to the importance of knowing who they are dealing with, ensuring that the shipper on a bill of lading is correctly identified.

The target of 50% of all bills of lading to be electronic within the next decade has been set by the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) in an announcement made last week. The international freight transport insurer, TT Club welcomes the commitment by the group of container shipping lines that together operate nearly 70% of the world's capacity.

With an insurable interest in excess of 50% of the world's tank container fleet, freight transport insurer TT Club has an intimate understanding of the sector. Its latest StopLoss guidance for tank container operators in managing risk in this element of the global supply chain contains valuable advice.

Recent case law from the NSW Court of Appeal in Australia acts as a reminder to freight forwarders to consider carefully the question of ‘whether to issue a house bill of lading?’ for a consignment. When doing so, there are clear steps to take to protect the rights of all stakeholders and avoid unforeseen exposures.