In Singapore Arbitration 1/19 a fraudulent broker purported to charter to shipowners on behalf of X and then sub-chartered to Z. Under the charter to X 100% freight was to be paid within six days of signing and release of bills of lading. The cargo was loaded and a bill of lading was issued to Z as Z, incorporating all the terms and conditions of the charter and stating ‘freight payable as per charterparty dated 9 November 2010’. Both charters bore that date. The broker received 95% freight from Z and paid part of that to owners in respect of freight under the X head charter. Owners later claim the unpaid balance of freight, and loading port demurrage, under the X charter from Z as bill of lading shipper. The owners had discharged into a port authority warehouse but had lost their lien when receivers managed to take delivery without payment of sums due under the charter with X. Owners commenced arbitration in Singapore against Z under the bill of lading.
The tribunal held that it did have jurisdiction to determine which of two charters with the same date was incorporated into the bill of lading. Both charters were subject to English law. Applying the San Nicholas it was the head charter that was incorporated. Notwithstanding the transfer of the bill of lading, the shipper’s liability remained due to section 3(3) COGSA 1992. Owners did not have to give credit for what Z had paid, but only for what they had received. Owners could not be criticised for having failed to act with due diligence once the balance due under the charter with X came due and had not been received. Owners acted reasonably in discharging into a port authority warehouse. The unfortunate Z was liable for the sums claimed by owners.
