Legal Definitions - affrectamentum

The term affrectamentum is an older, Latin-derived word that refers to the same legal concept as affreightment.

Affreightment is a contract where a shipowner or carrier agrees to transport goods for another party (known as the 'charterer'), or to provide the use of an entire ship, or a specific portion of its cargo space, for the transportation of goods by sea. Essentially, it's a specialized shipping contract for cargo.

• Example 1: Bulk Commodity Shipment

  A mining company in Australia needs to transport a large quantity of iron ore to a steel mill in China. They enter into an agreement with a shipping firm to dedicate a bulk carrier for this specific voyage. The contract outlines the volume of ore, the loading and discharge ports, the agreed freight rate, and the estimated transit time.

  This illustrates affrectamentum because the mining company (the charterer) is contracting with the shipping firm (the carrier) for the use of a vessel's cargo capacity to move their goods across the ocean, establishing a clear shipping agreement.

• Example 2: Project Cargo for Infrastructure

  A construction consortium is building a new bridge and requires several massive pre-fabricated steel sections to be moved from a fabrication yard in Europe to the construction site in South America. Given the size and weight of these components, they charter an entire heavy-lift vessel for this single, complex journey. The contract specifies the vessel, the precise route, the specialized loading and unloading procedures, and the timeline for the transport.

  Here, the construction consortium is engaging in affrectamentum by entering into a contract for the exclusive use of a specialized ship's cargo space for a particular voyage to transport their unique and critical project cargo.

• Example 3: Regular Supply Chain Logistics

  A major automotive manufacturer frequently ships vehicle parts from its suppliers in various Asian countries to its assembly plants in North America. Instead of chartering entire ships, they establish a long-term contract with a global shipping line to reserve a consistent number of container slots (e.g., 150 TEUs per week) on multiple scheduled container vessels along specific trans-Pacific routes for a period of three years.

  This scenario demonstrates affrectamentum because the automotive manufacturer is contracting for the regular and consistent use of a portion of a carrier's vessel capacity over an extended period, securing space for their goods on numerous voyages as part of their ongoing supply chain.