From an initial claim of over 1.46 million yuan to a 640,000-yuan settlement, and from agreement signing to arbitration completion—the entire process took just four working days. Recently, under the guidance of the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, the Minhang Maritime Safety Administration collaborated with the Shanghai Arbitration Commission’s International Shipping Arbitration Court to successfully resolve a collision dispute between the vessels “Bao XX” and “Xing’an Tai XXX” in Shanghai’s Huangpu River. This case adopted a new “fast filing, fast review, fast conclusion” approach, serving as a “shortcut” for integrating “maritime arbitration” confirmation into “maritime mediation” practices in Shanghai and nationwide.
On June 20, the “Bao XX,” while navigating upstream in the Zhagang bend area of the Huangpu River, collided with the downstream vessel “Xing’an Tai XXX.” The accident caused damage to the portside midsection of the “Xing’an Tai XXX,” flooding its cargo hold and leading to a tilt, ultimately grounding the vessel on a shoal upstream of the Jinhui Port.
Following the collision, the “Xing’an Tai XXX” demanded compensation of over 1.46 million yuan from the “Bao XX” for vessel damage, lost work time, emotional distress, and other costs. The “Bao XX” argued that the current market value of the “Xing’an Tai XXX” was only about 480,000 yuan, making the claim far exceed the vessel’s actual worth, and refused to pay the unreasonable portion. Negotiations reached a deadlock.
After an in-depth investigation, the Minhang Maritime Safety Administration determined that the primary cause of the accident was the improper operation of the “Bao XX’s” duty officer, which led the vessel to cross the channel separation line and intrude into the downstream lane. The “Bao XX” was thus held liable for compensating the losses of the “Xing’an Tai XXX.”
Meanwhile, to advance the “maritime mediation + maritime arbitration” dispute resolution model and achieve “one-stop” conflict resolution while safeguarding the legitimate rights of both parties, the Minhang Maritime Safety Administration simultaneously facilitated mediation and arbitration for the collision dispute during its investigation. Authorities patiently explained legal principles, analyzed the 76-item loss list submitted by the “Xing’an Tai XXX,” and guided both sides to rationally assess damages based on the vessel’s actual value.
After multiple rounds of on-site and telephone mediation, the parties reached a detailed settlement agreement on July 16. The “Bao XX” agreed to compensate the “Xing’an Tai XXX” 640,000 yuan for vessel damage and lost work time, while ownership of the “Xing’an Tai XXX” was transferred to the “Bao XX’s” owner.
After reaching the settlement, both parties expressed concerns about potential non-compliance affecting the subsequent transfer of the “Xing’an Tai XXX.” In response, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, adhering to President Xi Jinping’s directive to “prioritize non-litigation dispute resolution mechanisms,” actively guided the parties to utilize the “maritime mediation to maritime arbitration” workflow. They assisted in promptly applying to the Shanghai International Shipping Arbitration Court for arbitration confirmation.
On July 16, the Shanghai International Shipping Arbitration Court dispatched personnel to guide both parties in signing the “Ship Collision Arbitration Agreement,” preparing arbitration application materials, and submitting the application and fees online. The same day, the court completed document review, arbitrator selection, and tribunal formation, achieving an efficient “same-day acceptance, same-day tribunal” process.
To avoid disrupting normal vessel operations and facilitate participation, the arbitration court conducted the confirmation hearing online and delivered the arbitration ruling within four working days. The ruling granted enforceability to the settlement agreement, allowing the parties to proceed with vessel ownership registration using the arbitration documents and handover materials, ensuring seamless agreement fulfillment.
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