CHN    ENG    B193_110727 Surveyors Labs

目前有这样一种趋势，即租家企图通过租约条款将装载铁矿粉、镍矿等易液化货物的风险和潜在损失转嫁到船东身上。在此，我们列举其一，并阐述这些条款对船东利益和协会保险的影响，供船东客户参考。

某租家条款规定：

（中文译本仅供参考，实际条款请参阅英文版）

“铁矿粉条款：

租家在装货前向船长提交托运人提供的货物含水量、流动水分点、适运水分限量证明。

如果租家/托运人不能及时提供含水量证明，那么所有时间损失由租家承担。

船东/船长需确保所装载的货物条件适于本船运输。一旦货物越过船舷将视为船东和船长接受货物且货物适于运输。如果因货物含水量问题，船长命令停止装货或拒绝开航，则船东承担卸货或使货物适于运输的风险和费用，并且船舶将分别从船长命令停止装货或拒绝从装运港开航开始，到恢复装货或船舶恢复航程期间停租。如果船东需要检验员支持，船东保赔协会指定一位独立的经认证的当地检验员监督装货。船东需及时告知租家指定检验一事，并指示他们的检验员与租家及托运人的当地代表密切合作。

船长有权在货物越过船舷之前拒绝超过适运水分限量的货物。如果被船长拒绝的货物，经双方认同的检测实验室联合检验，则检验结果是最终的且约束双方。但是，租家有权选择装运替代货物。

如果货物被认定为超出国际海事组织安全限制范围，那么因船长拒绝货物和进行检验/检测的任何时间损失以及费用由租家承担。然而，如果测试结束表明货物在国际海事组织安全限制范围之内，那么从船长拒绝货物时起船舶停租，由此引起的任何时间损失以及所有直接的相关费用由船东承担。

所有货物取样需有租家和/或托运人在场，且必要时共同检验。（任何由船东互保协会的代表进行的抽样，如无租家/托运人认可,则将被视为无效。）”

这一条款把货物越过船舷之后，货物遭拒和卸货的所有风险、费用、时间损失强加于船东。同时，如果遭到拒绝的货物被证明符合国际海事组织安全限制的要求，则把在此之前的时间损失和费用强加于船东。这将严重影响船东通过保赔协会检验员独立检查货物的权利,如根据《国际海运固体散装货物规则》进行圆盒测试。

出于船东商业考虑，我们建议加入以下条款替代租家提供的条款，以全面保护船东利益。

引用

运输、装载（必要时平舱）的固体散装货物需合法和无害，并始终符合所有可适用的国际法规，包括《国际海运固体散装货物规则2009版》（可能经常修改）。为遵守以上法规花费的所有时间，或因没有遵守而导致的后果，视为租家的时间和费用（无论作为租金或装卸时间/滞期费）。租家承担任何及所有额外支出、费用，以及为遵守法规而产生的责任或因不遵守法规而导致的后果。租家提供实验室出具的测试证明，该证明必须事先获得船东认可，是否认可由船东自行决定，且测试证明必须记载适运水分限量、流动水分点以及含水量。以上证明在装货前递交给船东和船长，并作为开始装货的条件。同时，船长如果合理地认为存在危及船舶航行安全的风险（包括但不限于货物液化风险），有权自行决定拒绝接受货物装船或，在装载完毕之后，拒绝开航。同时，船长有权自行决定要求此类货物卸下船舶。这种拒绝和/或要求卸下船舶不违反租约，租家将承担所有使货物安全和/或满足船长要求允许船舶开航而花费的时间和费用（无论作为租金或装卸时间/滞期费）。任何情况下，租家应允许船东或其代表在装货前进行货物取样，并作为装货开始的条件。并且船东有权测试样品，和/或有权自行指定检验员和/或专家代表其行事。租家同意支付并赔偿船东因租家指令装载固体散装货物的所有支出以及导致的后果，租家承担为完成本条款要求所花费的时间。租家将承担（无论作为租金或装卸时间/滞期费）的时间和费用。本条款始终不免除租家提供安全货物以及相关装载义务，依据本条款船长或船东不作为或轻率的作为，将视为放弃船东权利。

船东有权指定独立检验员抽样/监控/监督装货

引用结束

如果租家不接受以上条款，根据协会的通知，我们建议船东应至少确保在租约中明确以下两点。如不能达到以下最低要求，可能会使产生的风险超出协会承保范围。

1. 所有拟运输、装载（必要时平舱）的货物，必须合法和无害，并始终符合所有可适用的国际法规，包括《国际海运固体散装货物规则》。
2. 船东有权指定独立的检验员进行抽样、监控、监督装货。

同时，值得注意的是，租家尝试通过在租约中指定或排除检验员和/或实验室的方式，干涉船东安排独立的保赔检验员和/或实验室对货物含水量、流动水分点、适运水分限量进行抽样和检测。附件为国际保赔集团出具的巴西、印度、菲律宾，印度尼西亚可以信赖的检验员和实验室名单，供您在确定租约条款时参考。

以上由 ANDREW LIU & CO.,LTD 编译，应以英文为准！

详细信息请参阅附件。

Iron Ore Fine Clause

There is a trend that the charterers intend to transfer the risk and potential losses for loading liquefying cargoes (e.g. Iron Ore Fines, Nickel Ore) onto owners account in C/P terms. We hereby share an example with our advice of how it may affect the owners’ interests as well as the club’s cover for our owners clients’ reference.

Example clause provided by charterers:

” – Iron Ore Fines Clause:

Charterers to provide Shippers’ certificates of moisture content, flow moisture point (fmp) and transportable moisture limit (tml) to the Master prior to loading.

In the event that Charterers/Shippers are unable to provide the moisture content certificate in time then all time lost as a consequence to be for Charterers’ account.

Owners/Master to ensure that cargo loaded is in suitable condition for carriage by the vessel. Once cargo has crossed ship’s rail it will be deemed to have been accepted and in a condition fit for shipment by Owners and Master. In the event that the Master orders loading to stop or refuses to sail from the load port due to the moisture content of the cargo, Owners shall be responsible for landing the cargo or making it suitable for carriage at their own risk and expense and the vessel will be off-hire from the point at which the Master orders loading to stop or refuses to sail from the load port until loading resumes or the vessel resumes the voyage respectively. If Owners require a surveyor to support them, Owners’ P and I club to appoint an independent and accredited local surveyor to supervise loading. Owners to keep Charterers well advised about such appointment and to instruct their surveyor to coordinate closely with Charterers’ and Shippers’ local representatives.

The Master has the right to reject the cargo prior to passing ship’s rail which falls outside the safe transportable moisture content limits. Any cargo so rejected by Master to be jointly tested at a mutually agreed test laboratory and the findings are to be final and binding on both parties. Charterers however have the option to provide alternative cargo for loading.

Any time lost and expenses caused by such Master’s rejection of cargo and conducting survey/testing to be for Charterers’ account, if such cargo found to be outside safe IMO limits. However, should the test results declare the cargo to be within safe IMO limits, then the vessel is to be off-hire from the time of rejection and any time lost and all directly related expenses caused thereby, to be for Owners’ account.

All sampling of cargo to be witnessed by Charterers and/or Shippers and jointly surveyed as necessary (any sampling by Owners P and I club representative without Charterers’/Shippers’ knowledge shall be treated as null and void).”

This clause imposes all risks, expenses and time loss for rejecting cargo and landing cargo after the cargo crossed the ship’s rail to be on owner’s account. It also imposes the time loss and expenses for rejecting cargo prior to passing on owner’s account if the cargo so rejected is tested to be within safe IMO limits. It will greatly affect the owner’s right to check the cargo (by P&I surveyor) independently, e.g. by can test, under the IMSBC Code.

Subject to the owner’s commercial consideration, we suggest to insert below clause instead of the one that charterers provided so that the owners’ interests can be fully protected.

Quote

Solid bulk cargoes are to be presented for carriage, loaded, (and where necessary trimmed) only so far as lawful and harmless, and always in compliance with all applicable international regulations, including IMSBC Code 2009 (as may be amended from time to time). All time taken in complying with such regulations, or as a result of non-compliance shall be for Charterer’s sole time and expense (whether as hire or as laytime/demurrage as applicable). Charterers shall be responsible for any and all additional costs, expenses and liabilities whatsoever incurred in such compliance or as a result of any non compliance. The Charterers are to provide certificate(s) of test from a laboratory which must be approved in advance by Owners at Owner’s absolute discretion, and such certificate(s) of test must show the TML (transportable moisture limit) and FMP (flow moisture point) and moisture content. Such certificate(s) are to be presented to Owners and Master prior to, and as a condition, of the commencement of loading. The Master shall also have the right in his absolute discretion to refuse to accept cargo on board or, after loading, to refuse to sail, where in his reasonable opinion, there is a risk (including but not limited to the risk of liquefaction of the cargo) which could jeopardise the safety of the vessel on the voyage. The Master shall also have the right in his absolute discretion to demand that such cargo be offloaded from the vessel. Such refusal and/or demand to offload shall not be a breach of charter and Charterers shall be responsible at their sole time and expense (whether as hire or as laytime/demurrage as applicable) for all steps required to make the cargo safe and/or to allow the vessel to sail to the satisfaction of the Master. In any event, Charterers are to allow Owners or their representatives to take samples of cargoes prior to, and as a condition, of loading and Owners shall be entitled to test such samples and/or appoint surveyors and/or experts to act on their behalf always at Owner’s discretion. Charterers agree to pay and indemnify owners for all costs and consequences incurred as a result of charterer’s orders to load solid bulk cargoes and all the time taken up by the steps outlined in this clause shall be for Charterer’s account and Charterers shall be responsible at their sole time and expense (whether as hire or as laytime/demurrage as applicable). This clause is always without prejudice to the obligations of Charterers to provide a safe cargo and in relation to loading and nothing done or omitted to be done by the Master or Owners pursuant to this clause shall amount to a waiver of any rights of Owners.

Owners have the rights to appoint independent surveyor to sampling/monitor/supervise the loading.

Unquote

In case the above clause it not acceptable to charterers, subject to the club’s advice, we suggest the owners should at least ensure below two key points are stated expressively in the C/P. Fail to compliant with the minimum requirements stated below may prejudice the club’s cover for the risks thereof incurred.

1. All cargoes are to be presented for carriage, loaded, (and where necessary trimmed) only so far as lawful and harmless, and always in compliance with all applicable international regulations, including IMSBC Code
2. The owner has the right to appoint independent surveyor to sampling/monitor/supervise the loading.

It is also noted that the charterers are trying to intervene owner’s arrangement of independent P&I surveyor and/or laboratory for sampling and texting cargo’s moister content, TML/FMP by the way of designating or excluding choices of surveyors and/or laboratories in C/P. For the guidance of fixing C/P terms, we hereby provide a list of surveyors and Laboratories considered to be reliable in Brazil, India, Philippines & Indonesia that provided by IG group as enclosed.

See attached file : ALCO20120015Iron Ore Fine Clause.pdf ;B193_110727 Surveyors Labs.pdf