The ship had not arrived at the port for more than a month after the fire, and the shipowner declared general average, carrying 2,300 containers of cargo.
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On November 9, shipping media The Loadstar reported that, South Korean shipping company HMM has declared general average due to the fire accident of its container ship "HMM PLATINUM".
General average usually refers to the special sacrifices or expenses incurred by deliberately taking measures to preserve common safety when the cargo faces a common danger, and is shared by the beneficiaries according to the rules. This announcement means that the cargo party must complete the corresponding guarantee arrangements before the goods on board are subsequently transshipped or released.
The ship involved, "HMM PLATINUM" (IMO 9637155), is a Liberian-registered container ship built in 2013, with a transport capacity of approximately 5,023TEU, and was operating the HMM Far East-India-Latin America FIL route, voyage 0100W. The affiliation record shows, This ship has called at ports such as Qingdao, Busan, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Singapore.It departed from Kattupalli Port in India on September 27 and was originally scheduled to go to Santos Port in Brazil. In early October, while the ship was sailing in the waters south of Madagascar, a fire broke out in the containers on the deck or in the hold. There were about 2,300 containers on board at the time of the incident. More than a month later, the ship is still waiting for arrangements for a port of refuge in the waters near South Africa.
Arrangements for relief and refuge ports are still progressing
After the fire, professional salvage company SMIT has participated in the rescue in accordance with Lloyd's standard salvage contract. The ship had previously planned to seek refuge in Durban, South Africa, and later considered other ports, including Nqula Port. As of now, the ship is still anchored in the waters near Durban, and subsequent arrangements for the port of refuge and cargo disposal have not yet been finalized. For cargo on board, the choice of port of refuge, transshipment route and delivery time may all affect subsequent logistics and cost arrangements.
The general average adjuster and the guarantee receiver have been determined
HMM has appointed Korhi Average Adjusters & Surveyors as the general average adjuster, and the general average guarantee will be collected by Korhi and Richards Hogg Lindley. According to WE Cox's report, before the goods on board are subsequently transshipped or released at the port of destination, the cargo owner must provide a salvage guarantee and a general average guarantee; uninsured goods must pay a cash deposit. The guarantee arrangement is a prerequisite for the subsequent flow of goods, and the cargo party should prepare relevant materials as soon as possible.
Operation suggestions for cargo owners and freight forwarders
It is recommended that cargo owners and freight forwarders with goods on board check the ship name, voyage and bill of lading information as soon as possible, and contact the freight forwarder or carrier to confirm the current status of the goods; insured cargo owners should promptly notify the insurance company to understand the issuance of guarantee and subsequent claims settlement arrangements. The general average adjustment cycle is usually long, and preparing general average guarantee materials in advance is the key to ensuring smooth delivery of goods in the later period. For goods involving transshipment or port change, it is also necessary to pay attention to the arrangements for the port of refuge, cost sharing and delivery conditions to avoid affecting the progress of picking up the goods due to failure to implement guarantees.
