In Zodiac v Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (2010) the owners Zodiac sued the charterers FMG for early termination of a COA for 5 years. Zodiac interpreted charterer’s communications as a repudiation of the COA and treated the COA as terminated. It was held the owners were correct and the issue is the manner of the calculation of the quantum of damages.
In common law, the owners were entitled to be put in the same position as if the charterers had not breached the contract and the contract had been performed. This means the measure of damages is the difference between the contractual income for the balance of the COA contract and the available market rate income.
The available market rate income should in principle be a replacement COA for four and a half years (balance of period remaining under COA) on same charter party terms. In The Golden Victory (2007) it was held a replacement fixture to be suitable as a market substitute for the purpose of calculation of damages must correspond to the original fixture and be on same contractual terms and trading limits.
At the time the charterers terminated the COA, there was no demand and no available market for a four and a half years COA. Accordingly the usual manner of calculating the measure of damages cannot be used and the damages could only be assessed after every spot charter. However It was also held that if the market improved subsequently and a market later becomes available, this should be taken into account.
Importantly it was also held that the owner’s agreement in renegotiating the charter hire income on their other COAs with other charterers should be taken into account in assessing the true measure of damages of the owners.
See attached file : ALCO20120021Termination of consecutive voyage charters – measure of damages.pdf
终止连续航次租船-损害赔偿范围
在 Zodiac v Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (2010) 一案中，船东Zodiac诉租家FMG提前终止5年期的包运合同（COA）。（船东）Zodiac认为，租家的意思表示已经构成毁约，包运合同终止。法院认可船东的观点，本案的焦点在于损害赔偿额的计算方法。
普通法下，船东有权获得赔偿，使其处于租家没有违约且实际履行了合同时的状态。就是说，损害赔偿额等于包运合同剩余租期的租金收入与可获得的市场租金收入之间的差额。
原则上，可获得的市场租金收入是指相同租约条款下4.5年（包运合同剩余租期）包运合同的租金收入。在 The Golden Victory (2007) 一案中，法院认为，用于计算损害赔偿额的可替代租约需与原租约相似，其合同条款和航行区域相同。
本案中，当租家终止包运合同时，航运市场上已找不到可替代的4.5年期包运合同。因此，不能使用通常计算损害赔偿额的方法，损害赔偿只能通过短期租约进行评估。法院认为，如果之后航运市场好转，可以找到可替代的包运合同，则应将其纳入考虑范围进行相应的计算。
重要的是，法院同时认为，在评估船东真实的损害赔偿时，需要将船东与其他租家就其他包运合同租金重新签订的协议也考虑在内。
以上由 ANDREW LIU & CO.,LTD 编译，应以英文为准！
详细信息请参阅附件。
