Effective date: 14 May 2026 · Last updated: 14 May 2026
1. About this policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Bulk Ship & Trade Limited ("BSTL", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information in connection with our website, email communications, and services. It applies to visitors, clients, suppliers, and job applicants. We operate principally from Ghana and comply with the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. Information we collect
- Information you provide directly — name, company, email, phone number, and message details submitted through our contact form or by correspondence.
- Service-related information — vessel, cargo, consignee, and port details you share during a shipping or agency engagement.
- Technical information — IP address, device and browser type, approximate location, pages visited, and referring URL, collected automatically through server logs and cookies.
- Recruitment information — CV, qualifications, and references you provide when applying for a role with us.
3. How we use your information
We use personal information to:
- Respond to enquiries, quotes, and service requests.
- Provide, administer, and invoice for our maritime, agency, husbandry, and logistics services.
- Communicate about operational updates, regulatory notices, and service changes.
- Improve and secure our website, detect fraud, and prevent misuse.
- Meet legal, tax, customs, port-authority, and regulatory obligations.
- Consider job applicants for current and future roles.
4. Legal bases (where GDPR applies)
Where GDPR applies we rely on one or more of the following legal bases: performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, our legitimate interests (for example, running our business and securing our systems), or your consent (for example, for non-essential cookies or marketing).
5. Cookies and analytics
We use strictly necessary cookies to keep the website working. With your consent, we may also use analytics and marketing tools — such as Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, or LinkedIn Insight — to understand audience behaviour and measure campaign performance. You can disable cookies in your browser settings; certain features may stop working if you do.
6. Sharing your information
We share personal information only where necessary and under written safeguards, with:
- Port authorities, customs, and regulators as required to clear and move cargo.
- Professional advisors (legal, audit, insurance) under a duty of confidentiality.
- Approved service providers who act only on our instructions — including Resend (resend.com), which delivers contact-form submissions to us by email; Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com / fonts.gstatic.com), which serves the typography assets used across the website and may log your IP address as part of standard HTTP request handling; our website hosting provider; and the analytics tools listed in section 5.
- Parties involved in a corporate transaction (e.g. a merger or acquisition), subject to confidentiality.
- Law enforcement or courts where required by law.
We do not sell personal information.
7. International transfers
Some of our providers may process data outside Ghana or the EU/EEA. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure the data is protected — for example by using providers certified under recognised frameworks or by putting contractual safeguards in place.
8. Data retention
We keep personal information only for as long as we need it to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, to meet legal and regulatory retention requirements, and to defend or bring legal claims. When we no longer need it, we securely delete or anonymise it.
9. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, update, or delete your personal information, to object to or restrict processing, to withdraw consent, and to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana or your local supervisory authority. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.
10. Security
We use organisational and technical measures — including access controls, encryption in transit, and staff training — to protect personal information. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continuously work to reduce risk.
11. Children
Our services are directed at businesses and professionals. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. Material changes will be highlighted on this page with a new effective date.
13. Contact us
Questions about this policy or our data practices? Reach us at:
Bulk Ship & Trade Limited (BSTL)
[ Address to be confirmed ]
Email: [ Email to be confirmed ]
Phone: [ Phone to be confirmed ]