The Admiralty Newsletter - 2 June 2026
A weekly briefing featuring insights from shipping's leading lawyers covering regulatory updates, emerging risks, and the practical implications of new case law.
In this week’s edition, courts and commentators have focused on the Baltimore bridge disaster, demurrage VAT treatment, limitation periods for arbitral enforcement, and invalid NORs.
Alongside those disputes, regulators are responding to subsea infrastructure threats, IEEPA, STCW, CO2TIME, and licences to recycle sanction ships.
Case law
Tanzania Court of Appeal Clarifies VAT Treatment of Demurrage Charges in the Shipping Sector (Bowmans)
Balancing Responsibility Under the Bill of Lading: Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd v Noel Cefai et (Ganado Advocates)
Has the US COGSA Package Limitation Changed? (Holland & Knight)
Montgomery v Caribe Transport II: No Shipper Liability Expansion (McCarter & English)
Shipping Law: OW Bunker, The Res Cogitans Case and Retention of Title Clauses (Hill Dickinson)
Invalid NORs and the Limits of Deemed Waiver: Key Charterer Lessons from The Sebat (Meco Group)
Trans-Trade RK SA v Sebat Shipping and Trading Co [2026] EWHC 950 (Comm): Cargo Operations Do Not Cure an Invalid NOR Absent Waiver (Noorden Jones)
Court Upholds Minimum Quantity Obligations Under Fuel Oil Trading Contracts (Hill Dickinson)
Commercial Implications of Contractual Interpretations: Realities of Misallocating Risk (HFW)
Ship Finance: Exclusive Jurisdiction Clauses (Hill Dickinson)
Important New Sanctions Judgment: The Catalan Sea - Court of Appeal Clarifies the Test for Sanctions Risk, a Reasonable Apprehension of a Real Risk of Sanctions (4 Pump Court)
Court of Appeal Clarifies Principles Relating to Limitation Period for Enforcement of Arbitral Awards (Allen & Gledhill)
Section 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996: When the High Bar Can Be Cleared (Stephenson Harwood)
Disruption, Force Majeure And The English Law Disputes Arising From The Iran Conflict (Haynes Boone)
UK Court Upholds Virtually Unbreakable Liability Shield in Solong-Stena Immaculate Collision (gCaptain)
Solong Owners Can Cap Liability at Around $21m, High Court Rules (Lloyd’s List)
Porsche Wins Felicity Ace Lawsuit as Cause of Fire Remains Unproven (gCaptain)
Strict Liability, Broad Exclusions: Indiana Court of Appeals Bars Coverage for Barge Environmental Claim (FMG Law)
SLT Imports Inc v SAR Transport Systems Pvt Ltd (CourtListener)
Large Settlement for the Baltimore Bridge: Implications for the Sector Globally (IISTL)
Families of Dead Workmen Settle Over Baltimore Bridge Disaster (TradeWinds)
Tug Owner Agrees to Liability in Arkansas Bridge Strike (TradeWinds)
Landmark Ruling Secures Fundamental Protection for Global Seafarers and Transport Workers (The Manila Times)
The United States Supreme Court Taketh and the Texas Supreme Court Giveth (Kennedys)
Heroic Idun: ITLOS Makes Record Award in Long-Running Ship Detention Case (Twenty Essex)
Baltic Exchange Hits Back at Corrosive Mercuria Claim in Fast-Tracked Trial (TradeWinds)
Kjell Inge Røkke Bests Christen Sveaas in Record-Breaking Solstad Offshore Battle (TradeWinds)
Regulatory
US Court of International Trade Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs (Baker Law)
US Container Cartel Charges Could Backfire and Drive Consolidation in China-Dominated Market (Lloyd’s List)
Samsung Escalates Detention and Demurrage Battle with Wan Hai at FMC (The Logistic News)
Greece Intensifies Ship Inspections Ahead of Summer Season (Safety4Sea)
The Role of Crew in Preventing Bullying and Harassment on Board: Changes to the STCW Code (HFW)
CO2TIME (BIMCO)
Use of Scrubbers in the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area Med ECA (Skuld)
UK Targets Subsea Cable Sabotage with New Penalties, Prison Sentences to Deter Russia (Marine Insight)
Beneath the Surface - Managing Subsea Infrastructure Risk in Offshore Energy Projects (SANDS)
Strait of Hormuz Tensions, Sanctions and Safe Passage Payments (DAC Beachcroft)
Swedish Coast Guard Ready to Board More Suspect Ships in Baltic (TradeWinds)
UK Expands Russia Sanctions and EU Clarifies Due Diligence for Tanker Vessel Sales (Wikborg Rein)
US Grants GMS First Licences to Recycle Sanctioned Box Ships (Riviera)
China Rejects Japan-Philippines Maritime Boundary Talks, Calls Them Entirely Illegal and Invalid (Marine Insight)
News & Opinion
First Woman to Head the Panama Canal Authority (HANSA News)
Opinion: The Three Maritime Action Plan Provisions That Could Matter Most (gCaptain)
Op-Ed: The Jones Act Waiver Is Reshaping More Than Maritime Transportation (The Maritime Executive)
Choking Point: Strait of Hormuz Disruptions (Marine Link)
TT Club Expands Its Board of Directors to Meet Evolving Industry Needs (TT Club)
Tulane Admiralty Law Institute Taps Arthur Kraatz for National Advisory Board (Phelps)
Four Thompson Hine Partners Featured in the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in Maritime, Admiralty and the High Seas (Thompson Hine)