BIMCO

Global grain shipments have increased 13% y/y so far this year, supported by strong wheat, maize and soya bean exports from the Americas and Europe. Improved harvests across most major exporters have boosted their export surpluses, driving higher shipments to Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

This joint BIMCO and Achilles webinar was a conversation between BIMCO and BW LNG. Grant Hunter is Chief Digital Officer at BIMCO, helping shape best practice across the global maritime sector. With extensive experience in shipping operations, procurement and maritime technology, Grant works closely with shipowners, managers and suppliers to address emerging challenges affecting the industry.

The publication continues MTF’s work on the safe introduction of alternative marine fuels, supported by BIMCO and other leading organisations. It builds on the broader Guidelines for developing and implementing a Safety Management System for alternative fuels and follows the publication of dedicated guidance for ammonia-fuelled ships.

The experiences we gather will cover: How companies approached implementationHow quickly adoption was achieved What benefits were realised. By sharing practical experiences and insights, the goal is to help the industry better understand what successful eBL adoption looks like in practice — and how others can accelerate their own journey. Please contribute your experiences of implementing eBLs:

BIMCO has launched a new industry survey to gather practical experience on operational crewing levels and compliance with work and rest hour requirements. The survey aims to build a clearer picture of how crewing levels, workload, rest hour compliance, recording practices and compliance monitoring are managed in practice across different ship types, trades and operational patterns. It seeks to capture both where current arrangements work well and where practical challenges may arise.

The clause was developed through BIMCO's established drafting process, bringing together representatives from owners, charterers, a fuel expert and a P&I Club representative, supported by broad industry consultation. The result is a clause that sets out, in detail, how responsibilities and costs relating to biofuel should be allocated between the parties.

So far this year, crude tanker newbuilding contracting has reached 60m deadweight tonnes (DWT) across 234 ships, driven by a surge in orders for Very Large Crude Tankers (VLCCs). This already makes 2026 the year with the highest crude tanker contracting on record. High freight rates and the need to replace an increasingly older fleet have both encouraged contracting.

The latest edition of BMP Maritime Security (BMP MS) has been updated to include a new section dedicated to managing incidents involving activist boardings of ships and offshore installations. The guidance reflects the growing need for vessel operators and crews to be prepared for organised protest activity at sea. Activist groups have a history of conducting carefully planned boardings, often aimed at generating media attention through banners, filming, and drone operations.

The group brings together a broad range of stakeholders, including vessel owners, charterers, developers, manufacturers, legal experts and P&I representatives, ensuring that the contract reflects the needs of the full value chain. A key milestone in the project was reached earlier this year with the release of the first draft for wider industry consultation.

The BIMCO ETS - Emission Trading Scheme Allowances Clause for Time Charter Parties 2022 (the BIMCO ETS Clause) was drafted primarily with the EU ETS in mind but purposely contains a broad definition of an "Emission Scheme" to include the EU ETS and "any other similar systems".