BIMCO standard clauses

BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council) is the world's largest international shipping association + the primary source of standard-form contract clauses. Modern shipping fixtures rely heavily on BIMCO standard clauses for consistent risk-allocation on emerging concerns: sanctions, war risk, cyber security, IMO 2020 sulphur cap, MLC compliance, CII/EEXI, MARPOL compliance, and more. Every ship-broker + charterer + Master benefits from familiarity with the core clauses even if the specific numbering changes year over year.

Sanctions clauses

BIMCO Sanctions Clause for Time Charter Parties 2020

Standard clause allocating sanctions-compliance risk between owner and charterer. Requires charterer to warrant that voyage/cargo will not put vessel in breach of applicable sanctions regime. Owner has right to refuse voyage nomination that would breach sanctions. Includes step-by-step notification + suspension procedures. Widely adopted in NYPE + SHELLTIME + BPTIME fixtures post-2018 in response to Iran + Russia sanctions.

BIMCO Sanctions Clause for Voyage Charter Parties 2020

Voyage-charter equivalent. Charterer warrants cargo + trade route + counterparties are sanctions-compliant. Owner may refuse to load or discharge if a specific trade would trigger sanctions liability. Widely used in GENCON 2022 fixtures.

War risk clauses

CONWARTIME 2013 (BIMCO War Risks Clause for Time Charter Parties)

The market-standard war-risk clause for time charters. Owner has right to refuse voyage/port that would expose vessel to war risk. Includes provisions for additional-premium (AP) recovery from charterer, alternative routing, deviation, and destination-change. Extensively invoked during 2023-24 Red Sea Houthi campaign for Cape rerouting.

VOYWAR 2013 (BIMCO War Risks Clause for Voyage Charter Parties)

Voyage-charter equivalent to CONWARTIME. Owner may refuse voyage or alter routing where war risk emerges. Charterer bears additional-premium + demurrage cost of routing changes.

Cyber security

BIMCO Cyber Security Clause for Charter Parties 2020

Requires both parties to have cyber risk management in place; establishes notification + cooperation obligations after a cyber incident; allocates liability for cyber-caused delays. Aligns with IMO Res. MSC.428(98) + IACS UR E26/E27. Widely adopted in modern fixtures particularly on Baltic + container trades.

IMO environmental compliance

BIMCO 2020 Marine Fuel Sulphur Content Clause for Time Charters

Allocates cost + compliance risk of the 0.50% sulphur cap between owner and charterer. Charterer warrants supply of compliant fuel; owner may refuse non-compliant bunkers. Includes provisions for FONAR (Fuel Oil Non-Availability Reports) + non-compliance-defence documentation.

BIMCO CII Operations Clause for Time Charter Parties 2022

The landmark clause allocating CII rating exposure between owner and charterer. Requires charterer to operate the vessel in a manner compatible with the vessel's CII target trajectory. Owner may refuse voyages that would trigger a rating downgrade. Includes calculation-methodology reference to MEPC.354(78) correction factors. Widely adopted post-2023.

BIMCO EEXI Transition Clause 2022

Addresses power-limitation + EEXI compliance timing during charter periods. Charterer acknowledges vessel EEXI status; owner has right to install power-limitation devices during charter if required for compliance.

Labour compliance

BIMCO MLC 2006 Clause for Time Charter Parties

Requires charterer to ensure trade patterns do not force violation of MLC A2.3 rest-hours + minimum-manning. Extends to accommodation + welfare obligations under MLC A4.3. Owner may refuse voyage that would require rest-hour derogation. Cross-references /reference/minimum-safe-manning.

Emerging + specialised clauses

Ballast Water Management Clause 2018. BWM Convention compliance + BWMS operation cost allocation.
NAABSA (Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground) Clause. Allocates risk in soft-berth trades where vessel may take ground on falling tide.
Anti-Piracy Clauses. Range of BIMCO clauses covering routing, armed guards on board, high-risk-area transit protocols.
BIMCO Cyber Security Clause 2020 for BL. Bill of lading cyber-incident coverage.
Force Majeure Clause 2022. Post-COVID + Ukraine-war updated force-majeure allocation.
Infectious Diseases Clause 2015 (revised 2022). COVID-era pandemic-response allocation.
Fuel Switching Clause 2020. Bunker delivery + tank cleaning during fuel type switches.

BIMCO SmartCon platform

Since 2020, BIMCO's clauses + full-form CPs are increasingly accessed via the BIMCO SmartCon platform — an online contract-management + clause-repository system replacing the historical printed BIMCO Bulletin + forms binder. SmartCon provides digital + up-to-date clause libraries for BIMCO members. Members can build + save fixture templates that combine BIMCO clauses with custom terms.