OW Bunder ("OW") is one of the world's biggest bunker suppliers (with a reported 7% share of the marine fuel supply market). As has been widely reported OW Bunker A/S, O.W. Bunker & Trading A/S and O.W. Supply & Trading A/S filed for bankruptcy in Denmark on the 7 November, 2014.

We refer Members to Circular (CLM) 03/2013 on the Regulations of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships ("the Regulations") and the requirement that owners/operators of (a) any ship carrying polluting and hazardous cargoes in bulk or (b) any other ship above 10,000 gt enter into a pollution clean-up contract with a Marintime Safety Agency (MSA) approved ship pollution response company (SPRO) before the ship enters a PRC port.

On 24 November 2014, the P5+1 countries - China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States - agreed with Iran to extend the implementation of the measures of the Joint Plan of Action (JPA) until 30 June 2015.

The spread of the Ebola virus disease in Vest Africa has drawn much attention recently. This circular is intended to provide guidance in relation to some of the contractual issues that may be anticipated in a P&I context.