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ARTICLE · 21 JULY 2026

Malta And The HNS Convention: Preparing For The 2027 Liability Regime

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The International Maritime Organization has confirmed that the HNS Convention, governing liability and compensation for damage from hazardous cargo transport by sea, will enter force on 29 November 2027. After nearly three decades of delays, this creates immediate compliance obligations for Malta's ship registry and the global maritime industry, requiring new insurance certificates, reporting systems, and a two-tier compensation framework backed by both shipowners and cargo receivers.

MaltaTransport
Gabriel DeBono
Gabriel DeBono
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After almost three decades in limbo, the international maritime industry is about to get a long-missing piece of its liability architecture. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has confirmed that the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010 (HNS Convention or Convention). This Convention, which governs liability and compensation for damage linked to the sea carriage of hazardous and noxious substances will finally enter into force on 29 November 2027.

For Malta, as home to one of the world’s largest ship registries and a leading hub for maritime law, , this is not a distant regulatory curiosity. It is a compliance deadline with direct consequences for shipowners, P&I correspondents and registry administrators.

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