Don’t be complacent about contracts in times of shipping disruptions

14th Piece just published on SCMP

When the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal, or other critical trade routes face disruption, commercial stakeholders often focus on logistics. The more important question may be legal: when does a disruption genuinely excuse contractual performance, and when is it simply a risk allocated by the contract?

This submission examines why, under English common law, rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope is rarely enough to relieve a charterer of its obligations.

Direct link to the main article: https://sc.mp/lcxj0