The Admiralty Newsletter - 16 March
Expert analyses of maritime law, regulatory developments, and landmark cases delivered to your inbox every week.
Welcome to the Admiralty Newsletter.
This week’s edition highlights U.S. federal rulings on enforcement and seizures, UK appellate and admiralty decisions in collision cases, and the Afina/Kiveli appeals.
Regulatory coverage includes EU ports strategy, UAE arbitration influence, FMC guidance on fuel surcharges, and the Jones Act waiver debate.
News & Opinion has commentary on Strait of Hormuz routing risks, safe‑port and force majeure analysis, guidance on salvage and casualty reporting, and contract strategy amid Middle Eastern tensions.
Case Law
Federal Court Dismisses ILA suit out of Virginia: No Contract Violations (MBLB)
Afina 1 c/w Kiveli - Court of Appeal upholds the decision of the Admiralty Court (Tatham)
Hof van Cassatie schept helderheid in de saga over de onmogelijkheid tot directe douanevertegenwoordiging in België (Quadrant Advocaaten)
LLC Eurochem North-West-2 v Tecnimont S.P.A. & MT Russia LLC (Stephenson Harwood)
URE Energy Limited v Notting Hill Genesis (Haynes Boone)
High Seas Seizure: U.S. Captures Dark Tanker in Enforcement of Sanctions (MBLB)
Regulatory
Ocean Carriers Begin Adding Fuel Surcharges Amid Middle East Disruptions: FMC Regulations Require Notifications and Phased Implementation (Husch Blackwell)
Trump Administration Provides “Sovereign Backstop” Reinsurance Facility for Persian Gulf Maritime Shipping (Clark Hill)
The 45-Day Ceiling: Why Proposed Jones Waivers Offer Little Relief to Gulf Supply Shocks (MMWR)
Jones Act Waivers - Again (Winston Strawn)
Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Legal Risks for Shipowners, Charterers and Insurers under UAE Maritime Law (Hadef)
High seas, no law: Combat legal outside 12 nm - Maritime law expert (Daily Mirror)
News and Opinion
‘End of Voyage’ declarations: a growing trend (Hill Dickinson)
Scrubber risks: Lessons from six years of claims (Gard)
Conflict Premium: Insurance and Supply Chains During the Iran War (Part 1) (Pillsbury)
Biofuels in commercial shipping: navigating the legal and contractual considerations (NorthStandard)
2026 Outlook for Maritime Biofuels (Bracewell)
UAE’s Role in International Arbitration: Understanding a Rapidly Growing Influence (HAS Law)
UNCITRAL’s Negotiable Cargo Document: Revolutionary or Just Another Layer? (Caland)
Tensions in the Persian Gulf: When do charterers or owners have the right to walk away? (ERG)
‘Don’t be that guy’ by ordering Gulf danger voyages, charterers warned (Lloyd’s List)
Beyond Force Majeure: When Does a Conflict Actually “Frustrate” a Contract, What Is My Strategy, and What Questions Should I Ask? (Squire Patton Boggs)
Sexually Assaulted at Sea: What to Do Next (Justice 4 Mariners)
Breakaway barge case illustrates the operation of marine salvage law (Workboat)
What Is the Jones Act and How Would Waiving It Help Lower Oil Prices? (Barron’s)
Blank Rome Recognized in China Business Law Journal’s 2025 Deals of the Year (Blank Rome)
Refusing Transit Through the Strait of Hormuz (Squire Patton Boggs)