Time C/P arbitration clause held not effectively incorporated into the B/L by Chinese Maritime Court
Successful incorporation of a charterparty arbitration clause into the bills of lading is not a straight forward matter under China jurisprudence and recently a Chinese maritime court dismissed the owners’ motion to refer the case to arbitration, because it was held that the C/P arbitration clause incorporated into the B/L was not effective. Details of the matter are as follows.
Key points following the legal decision are:
- Although the said B/L recorded on the front page that it was: “to be used with charterparty”, there was no express statement in the bill terms for incorporating the arbitration clause from the C/P.
- The standard incorporation clause in the back page of the B/L could not constitute a valid incorporation of the arbitration clause under Chinese law and practice.
- If any C/P terms are to be recognised as incorporated then they would be those of the voyage charter to which the cargo receiver was a party – not the head time C/P. This is because the time C/P is in the nature of being primarily a leasing contract.
See attached file: China – Arbitration clauses in Bills of Lading under Chinese legal practice.pdf
中国：提单仲裁条款在中国的法律实践
中国海事法院认为，期租租约仲裁条款不能当然地有效并入提单。
在中国法律体系下，想将租约仲裁条款成功的并入到提单中，并不是一件简单的事情。最近，一中国海事法院驳回船东仲裁请求，法院认为租约仲裁条款并入提单无效。详细案情，请见下文。
法律判决要点：
- 尽管所述提单正面记载：“和租约一起使用”，但是提单条款中并没有写明将租约的仲裁条款并入提单。
- 在中国法律下和实践中，提单背面的标准并入条款不能使仲裁条款有效地并入。
- 能够被有效并入的条款必须是收货人是合同方的程租条款，而不能是期租条款，原因是，期租租约的本质是租赁合同。
详细信息请参阅附件。
