Weather Working Days (WWD)

Weather Working Days (WWD) is a core term in foreign trade chartering and laytime calculation, referring to working days on which cargo loading and unloading can be carried out normally, weather permitting. Its essence is to exclude time lost due to adverse weather (such as heavy rain, strong winds, dense fog, etc.) that prevents operations, and such time is not counted against the laytime. It is commonly used in laytime clauses in voyage charter parties to clarify the risk allocation between charterer and shipowner: if work is stopped due to weather, the charterer is not liable for demurrage. Points to note include: 1) The contract should clearly define the specific standard of 'weather permitting' (e.g., whether light fog or light rain is included) to avoid disputes; 2) WWD is often used with 'WWD of 24 hours', meaning that only a cumulative 24 hours counts as one working day; 3) It differs from 'Running Days', which do not deduct weather effects; and from 'Working Days', which exclude only weekends and holidays, not weather. In addition, WWD does not automatically exclude holidays unless conditions such as 'Except Holidays (SHEX)' are added. Therefore, foreign trade practitioners should accurately understand the rules for commencement and deduction of laytime in light of the specific contract wording to avoid demurrage risks.