Hague-Visby Rules / Hamburg Rules
International conventions governing the liability of the maritime carrier and the limits of compensation in the event of loss or damage.
Hague-Visby Rules / Hamburg Rules / Rotterdam Rules
Several international conventions govern the liability of the maritime carrier of goods. Their knowledge is essential to understand the rights and remedies in the event of a disaster.
Hague-Visby Rules (1968)
Most widely applied convention. The carrier is presumed responsible for losses and damage occurring between loading and unloading, with exceptions (“excepted cases”: perils at sea, acts of war, navigational faults, etc.). Compensation is capped at 2 SDR/kg or 666.67 SDR/package (whichever is higher).
Hamburg Rules (1978)
More favorable to the charger. The carrier's liability covers the period of custody of the goods (door-to-door). Fewer cases of exemption and compensation ceiling raised to 2.5 SDR/kg or 835 SDR/package.
Rotterdam Rules (2009)
Modern convention covering multimodal transport including a maritime journey. Not yet in force (insufficient number of ratifications). Ceiling: 3 SDR/kg or 875 SDR/package.
SDR (Special Drawing Rights)
The ceilings are expressed in SDRs, the monetary unit of the IMF (1 SDR ≈ 1.25 EUR in 2025). Conversion into local currency is done at the rate of the day of judgment or the agreed date.
Practical importance
As the carrier's compensation ceilings are very low compared to the actual value of the goods, ad valorem insurance is essential for valuable loads.