The well-known recent security challenges in the maritime areas of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea have drawn the attention of international shipping operators to the importance of contractual clauses relating to war risks in charter party agreements.
On 3 March 2026, BIMCO issued a recommendation inviting shipowners and charterers to carefully review the terms of both existing charter parties and those currently under negotiation, in order to clearly understand the allocation of risks and responsibilities arising from the potential exposure of the vessel, cargo and crew to conflict scenarios or threats to navigational safety. Particular attention should be paid to standard war risk clauses (VOYWAR and CONWARTIME), as well as to any force majeure provisions (e.g. BIMCO Force Majeure Clause 2022) and their interpretation within the overall contractual and factual context.
