近期某轮挂靠某个国家的某个港口，因受疫情影响，船舶需要消毒；从而带来时间损失及相关的消毒费用。根据租家的代理的报告，消毒的原因是船员为中国籍，而且该港口的这一消毒工作从2020 年1 月中旬就开始实施，不但针对中国籍船员的船舶，还适用于抵达该国之前所挂靠的10 个港口中有属于受新冠肺炎疫情影响国家的船舶。租家在支付租金时扣除了这一时间损失和相关费用。
合同的相关条款如下：
…That whilst on-hire the Charterers shall provide and pay for all the fuelexcept as otherwise agreed, Port Charges … and all other usual expenses exceptthose before stated, but when the vessel puts into a port for causes for whichvessel is responsible, then all such charges incurred shall be paid by the Owners.
Fumigationsordered because of illness of the crew to be for Owners account. Fumigationsordered because of cargoes carried or ports visited while vessel is employedunder this charter to be for Charterers account …
其中有一点，船东的协会律师认为：船东当然也可以争论这一费用是属于港口使费或其他惯常花费中，但根据“TimeCharter”中的相关解读，由于缺乏英
国法下的先例，仅有判例中关于港口费用或其他惯常花费的解释是类比拖轮费（tugassistance），所以仲裁庭也很难将消毒费用认定为期租合同下的港口使费或其他惯常花费。
之前笔者写过多篇文章介绍过和港口费用相关的文章，因此协会律师的该观点不敢苟同。“港口费用”本身没有何特殊或惯例的含义，仅指船舶在离开港口之前必须支付的费用。因此，该术语易于包括在到达港口时收取的灯塔费，并且必须缴纳灯塔费才能获得离港的通关1。另一方面，如果在租船合同中另外规定了灯塔费，则不会将其视为“港口费用”，也不会属于“码头，港口或吨税”或“其他收费和支出”的范围2。
简单点就是，港口费用包括船舶在离开港口之前必须支付的所有费用3，也
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1. See Newman& Dale v Lamport & Holt [1896] 1 Q.B. 20.
2. See G.H.Scales (Pacific) Ltd v Temperley Steam Shipping Co Ltd (1925) 23
Ll.L.Rep.312. Also See Carver on Charterparties, 7-077:
“Portcharges” does not have any special or customary meaning and simply refers tothe charges which a vessel must pay before she leaves a port. Accordingly, theterm is apt to include light dues which are levied on arrival at a port andhave to be paid in order to obtain outward clearance. On the other hand, iflight dues are separately provided for in the charter, they will not be treatedas “port charges”, nor will they fall within the scope of “dock, harbour ortonnage dues” or “other charges and expenses”.
3. See 24thed, Scrutton on Charterparties and Billsof Lading, 12-001:
Port chargesinclude all charges a vessel has to pay before she leaves a port and thereforeincludes light dues, where such are claimable, but the term does not includepilotage dues.
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