The high court said that Russian metal trader Yuzhny Zavod Metall Profil had no claim against Dutch shipping company Eems Beheerder.

The dispute arose from a cargo of 411 steel coils loaded on to the 2,600–dwt Eems Solar (built 2010) and delivered to Novorossiysk in Russia with varying degrees of damage.

Writing on the Mondaq website, Charles Smith of law firm Clyde & Co said the shipowner cited a clause in the Gencon 1994 charter contract included in the bill of lading that states the cargo was to be loaded "by the charterers, free of any risk, liability or expense whatsoever" and owners were only to be liable for "want of due diligence."

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