Maritime, Transport & International Trade
Navigating Risk in a Shifting Legal Landscape
Cox Yeats is recognised as a leader in maritime, transport, and international trade law. Our team provides end-to-end legal solutions for both domestic and international clients operating across the global trade, shipping, logistics, and insurance sectors. Whether navigating regulatory complexity, resolving disputes, or structuring commercial agreements, we offer practical, results-driven advice that protects your interests and enables strategic growth.
Our maritime team acts in both “wet” and “dry” shipping matters and is highly experienced in managing claims, litigation, regulatory challenges, and transactions.
We advise on:
- Ship arrests (in rem, security, and associated)
- Charterparty and cargo disputes
- Collision, salvage, and general average claims
- Casualty investigations
- Marine insurance claims and litigation
- Bills of lading and enforcement of maritime liens
- Sale and purchase of vessels, including judicial sales
Our clients include vessel owners, P&I clubs, charterers, marine insurers, freight forwarders, and logistics providers.
With increasing globalisation and supply chain complexity, clients turn to us for support on:
- International contracts of sale and carriage
- Letters of credit and payment risk mitigation
- Agency, distribution, and leasing agreements
- Import/export compliance and sanctions
- Customs and excise regulations
- Port-related disputes, including lease agreements and tariff challenges
We work closely with our corporate, regulatory, and tax teams to ensure that cross-border transactions are structured for compliance, efficiency, and reduced legal exposure
The legal environment affecting logistics, warehousing, and goods-in-transit continues to evolve.
Our team offers:
- Regulatory advice for logistics and storage providers
- Drafting and negotiating transport, lease, and supply contracts
- Advice on environmental, port, and infrastructure regulations
- Representation in disputes involving damaged, delayed, or lost cargo
We ensure clients remain compliant while managing the operational risks inherent in the movement and storage of goods.
Our lawyers advise on a wide range of insurance disputes, acting for both insurers and insured parties. This includes:
- Marine insurance and cargo claims
- Goods-in-Transit Insurance
- Bailee’s Insurance
- Public liability and property damage
- Complex liability and reinsurance matters
We provide early-stage claim assessment, coverage opinion, dispute resolution, and litigation services, ensuring cost-effective outcomes that protect long-term commercial relationships.
We advise clients on a broad range of customs and excise matters, including regulatory compliance, disputes, and trade-related advisory work.
Our experience includes:
- Tariff classification and customs valuation disputes
- Rebate applications and rebate-related claims
- Advising on the obligations and liabilities of removers of goods in bond
- Regulatory advice relating to bonded warehouses, stores, and depot operators
- Customs and excise compliance advisory services
- Disputes with SARS, including internal administrative appeals
- Alternative dispute resolution proceedings with SARS
- Judicial review proceedings relating to customs and excise decisions
- Advisory work relating to import, export, and cross-border trade requirements