Noble Chartering Inc v Priminds Shipping (HK) Co Ltd (The “Tai Prize”) – Court of Appeal (Bean, Males and Rose LJJ) [2021] EWCA Civ 87 – 28 January 2021

Carriage of goods by sea – Master invited to sign bill of lading stating cargo shipped in apparent good order and condition – Cargo found to be damaged on discharge – Chinese courts holding head owner liable to receivers – Disponent owners settling with head owner – Disponent owners claiming indemnity from sub-charterers – Whether misrepresentation by master – Whether sub-charterers liable to indemnify disponent owners

Noble Chartering (the owners) were the disponent owners of the vessel Tai Prize. They sub-chartered the vessel to Priminds Shipping (the charterers) for the carriage of a cargo of soya beans in bulk from Brazil to the PRC (the sub charter).