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Libyan Ports

The London P&I Club has issued the following alert regarding the Libyan port situation:

The fighting between militias has been intensifying, with Tripoli airport closed after being attacked by rockets earlier this month.

• All oil terminals/ports, including Zawia, are working. The only exception is Brega oil terminal which is currently on strike until further notice;
• At the moment, the commercial ports of Benghazi, Tobruk, Misurata and Alkhoms are operating normally;
• The fighting amongst militias continues in Tripoli and Benghazi. Whilst it is possible for vessels to call at Tripoli, loading and/or discharging operations are highly unlikely to take place due to the unavailability of labour/stevedores.

In light of the volatile situation and ongoing instability, owners of vessels calling at Libya should carefully assess their contractual obligations and remedies. Furthermore, shipowners considering fixing vessels to call in Libya should give due consideration to contractual measures that may be taken to try to avoid and/or negate future issues arising out of such instability.

Shipowners are also reminded that Libya is still subject to financial sanctions by the UK, EU, US and UN, including the recent UN ban on illicit crude oil exports from Libya and authorising inspection of suspect ships on high seas. Shipowners should therefore continue to exercise due diligence when engaging in activities with Libyan entities and/or connections.