Singapore’s X-Press Feeders has said it cannot pay the USD 250 million interim sum ordered by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court as part of a USD 1 billion claim over the 2021 container ship X-Press Pearl fire and sinking.
As per reports, the company said following a review, it and its insurer “cannot make the payment at this stage” and are continuing to seek discussions with the Sri Lankan authorities.
X-Press Feeders stressed that more than USD 170 million has already been spent on wreck removal, environmental remediation and claims processed through the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation.
It also voiced concern for the vessel’s Master, who has been under a Sri Lankan travel ban for more than four years, separated from his family and unable to resume his career.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordered X-Press Feeders to pay USD 1 billion within a year in relation to the casualty, while directing further criminal proceedings against the vessel’s Master and local agents.
The court had set 23 September as the deadline for the initial payment.
