Kluwer: The “Yangtze Harmony”: Bridging the Enforcement Gap Between Admiralty Arrests and International Arbitration

In international shipping disputes, obtaining a favourable arbitral award is often only half the battle won. The more pressing commercial concern is whether that award can ultimately be converted into recovery. Unlike many commercial disputes where a respondent may possess a broad asset base, maritime claims frequently involve vessels owned by special purpose entities established solely to own a single ship. Even where liability is established, an award may prove commercially worthless if the debtor lacks identifiable assets against which enforcement can be pursued.

This commercial reality explains why ship arrest occupies a unique position in maritime law.