The International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (IMO 2010 HNS Convention) is set to come into effect on 29 November 2027.
The 2010 HNS Convention establishes the first international compensation regime for accidents involving hazardous and noxious substances carried by sea.
The conditions for the IMO treaty’s entry into force were met on 29 May 2026, paving the way for the 2010 HNS Convention (the 1996 Convention as amended by the 2010 Protocol) to enter into force 18 months later.
There are currently 12 contracting States to the 2010 HNS Protocol, following ratifications by Belgium, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Sweden in April 2026. Nine of these States have more than 2 million units of gross tonnage.
Reports on contributing cargo submitted by contracting States in accordance with article 20 of the Protocol confirm that the required aggregate quantity of contributing cargo – more than 40 million tonnes – was achieved for the 2025 reporting year.
The 2010 HNS Convention
The Convention covers loss of life, personal injury, property damage, economic loss, clean-up costs and environmental damage arising from incidents involving more than 2,000 hazardous substances carried by sea, including chemicals, oils, acids, fertilizers, alcohols, LNG and LPG.
Under the regime shipowners are subject to strict liability for damage and are required to maintain State-certified insurance or other financial security. Additional compensation will also be available through the HNS Fund, financed by contributions from receivers of HNS cargo in Contracting States.
It is estimated that approximately 65,000 ships will require HNS certificates of insurance or other financial security.
HNS Fund
An HNS Fund will be established to provide compensation once the shipowner’s liability is exhausted.
Total compensation available under the Convention is capped at 250 million Special Drawing Rights (SDR) of the International Monetary Fund (approximately USD 360 million at current exchange rates) per incident.
Shipowners are held strictly liable up to the maximum limit established under the Convention for the costs arising from an HNS incident.