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Hague-Visby Rules defining cargo ships obligations and liability
Hague-Visby Rules (HVRs) are properly called the Hague Rules as Amended by the Brussels Protocol 1968 and apply to every bill of lading or any similar document of title relating to the carriage of goods between ports in two different States if:
i) the bill of lading or document is issued in a contracting State; or
ii) the carriage is from a port in a contracting State; or
iii) the contract contained in or evidenced by the bill of lading provides that the Hague-Visby Rules or the
legislation of any State giving effect to them (e.g. the UK’s Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971) are to govern
the contract.
Under Article V, the Rules will not be applicable to charter-parties, but if bills of lading are issued in the case
of a ship under a charter-party, they must comply with the Rules.
Many States, such as the UK, have legislation incorporating the Hague-Visby Rules into national law. Where no
such national law applies, the Hague-Visby Rules may still apply to the carriage by agreement of the contracting
parties. (See Clause Paramount in bill of lading, waybill or charter party.)
Article II provides that, subject to the provisions of Article VI, under every contract of carriage of goods by sea,
the carrier, in relation to the loading, handling, stowage, carriage, custody, care and discharge of such goods, will
be subject to the responsibilities and liabilities, and entitled to the rights and immunities, set out in the Rules.
“Goods” is defined in Article I as including goods, wares, merchandise, and articles of every kind whatsoever
except live animals and cargo which by the contract of carriage is stated as being carried on deck and is so carried.
Carrier’s responsibilities under the Hague-Visby Rules
The carrier has three basic obligations:
i) to ensure the vessel’s seaworthiness;
ii) to care for the cargo; and
iii) to issue a bill of lading where the shipper requests one.
Obligation in respect of seaworthiness
Article III paragraph 1 provides that the carrier must, before and at the beginning of the voyage (i.e. up to the
moment of sailing), exercise due diligence to:
• make the ship seaworthy;
• properly man, equip and supply the ship; and
• make the holds, refrigerating and cool chambers, and all other parts of the ship in which goods are carried, fit
and safe for their reception, carriage and preservation.
“Exercising due diligence” means taking all reasonable precautions to see that the vessel is fit for the voyage
contemplated. The carrier is not obliged to give an absolute guarantee of seaworthiness. The carrier may delegate his
duty to exercise due diligence (e.g. to surveyors or repairers) but he will be responsible if his servants or contractors,
etc. fail to exercise due diligence in carrying out their work.
“Seaworthy” in this context means that the hull must be in sound condition, the vessel must be mechanically sound,
equipped with charts, etc., and crewed by a properly trained crew. She need only be seaworthy at the commencement
of the voyage, which usually means when she leaves the berth, whether under her own motive power or with the aid
of tugs.
If a cargo owner can show that his loss was caused by a failure of the carrier to exercise due diligence to make the
vessel seaworthy, the carrier will not be able to rely on any other clauses in the Rules which reduce his liability (i.e.
the exceptions from liability).
The holds must be fit and safe for the reception, carriage and preservation of the cargo and, in particular, the hatch
covers must be tight and there must be no instability of the vessel through improper stowage. It has been held that the
neglect to protect a water pipe in a hold from frost which could have been expected at the time of year showed lack
of due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy.
Carrier’s obligation in respect of the cargo
Article III paragraph 2 provides that, subject to the provisions of Article IV, the carrier must “properly and
carefully load, handle, stow, carry, keep, care for and discharge any goods carried”. Unlike seaworthiness, this duty
extends throughout the voyage and implies a greater degree of care than exercising “due diligence”. The courts do
not expect perfection from the carrier, but it has been held that stowage was improper where -
• contamination of other goods occurred;
• there was inadequate or no ventilation;
• dry cargo was damaged by liquid goods; and
• vehicles were secured only by their own brakes.
The carrier must have a proper system for looking after the cargo when stowed. He has a duty to use all reasonable
means to ascertain the nature and characteristics of the cargo and to care for it accordingly, although the shipper
should give special instructions where special care is required. (Where water in tractor radiators froze, it was held
that the carrier should have been told of the risks.)
Obligation to issue a bill of lading
Article III paragraph 3 provides that after receiving the goods into his charge, the carrier, the master or the carrier’s
agent must, if the shipper demands, issue a bill of lading to the shipper showing, amongst other things:
• all leading marks for identification of the goods, as stated by the shipper before loading (in his shipping note),
provided these are visible on the goods or their coverings;
• either the number of packages or pieces, or the quantity, or weight, as stated by the shipper (in his shipping
note); and
• the apparent order and condition of the goods.
The carrier, master or agent need not insert any inaccurate statements on the bill of lading or give any details which
he cannot reasonably check. (Hence the practice for statements to be made such as “said to weigh....” and
“shipper’s load and count”.)
Any bill of lading thus issued will be prima facie evidence of receipt of the goods by the carrier as described, but
proof to the contrary will not be admissible if the bill of lading is transferred to a third party acting in good faith
(Article III paragraph 4).
Any bill of lading issued after loading must be a “shipped” bill of lading if the shipper demands, provided he
surrenders any previously issued document of title (e.g. a “received” bill of lading issued when the goods arrived at a
warehouse or depot before shipment) (Article III paragraph 7).
Carrier’s rights and immunities
• the carrier’s exceptions from liability;
• the carrier’s right to deviate; and
• the carrier’s rights in respect of dangerous goods.
Article IV paragraph 2 grants seventeen exceptions from liability to the carrier (compared with six under English
common law). Neither the carrier or ship will be responsible for loss or damage arising or resulting from:
• act, neglect or default of the master, mariner, pilot, or the servants of the carrier in the navigation or
management of the ship;
• fire, unless caused by actual fault or privity of the carrier;
• perils, dangers and accidents of the sea or other navigable waters;
• act of God;
• act of war;
• act of public enemies;
• arrest or restraint of princes, rulers or people, or seizure under legal process;
• quarantine regulations;
• act or omission of the shipper or owner of the goods, his agent or representatives;
• strikes, lockouts, stoppage or restraint of labour;
• riots and civil commotions;
• saving or attempting to safe life or property at sea;
• wastage in bulk or weight or any other loss or damage arising from inherent defect, quality or vice of the goods;
• insufficiency of packing;
• insufficiency or inadequacy of marks;
• latent defects not discoverable by due diligence;
• any other cause arising without the actual fault or privity of the carrier, or without the fault or neglect of the
agents or servants of the carrier (but the burden of proof will be on the carrier to show that his fault or privity or
the fault or neglect of his agents or servants did not contribute to the loss or damage).
Article IV paragraph 4 provides that any deviation in saving or attempting to save life or property at sea, or any
reasonable deviation, will not be an infringement or breach of the Hague-Visby Rules or of the contract of carriage,
and the carrier will therefore not be liable for any resulting loss or damage.
Article IV paragraph 6 provides that goods of an inflammable, explosive or dangerous nature, if not properly
marked, or if shipped without the knowledge or consent of the carrier, may be landed, destroyed, jettisoned or
rendered innocuous at any time before discharge. Such goods, even when shipped with the carrier’s knowledge and
consent, may be dealt with in this way without liability to the carrier, should they become dangerous.
General Average under the Hague-Visby Rules
Under Article V, nothing in the Rules may be held to prevent the insertion in a bill of lading of any lawful provision
regarding General Average. (Most bills of lading have a clause making the merchant or shipper aware that he may
become liable for a contribution in General Average.)
Exclusion of deck cargo and live animals from Hague-Visby Rules cover
Article I(c) excludes from the items defined as “goods” live animals and cargo which by the contract of carriage is
stated as being carried on deck and is so carried. Live animals are excluded from cover at all times. Cargo which
is carried on deck without being stated as such in the contract will, therefore, be subject to the Rules, as will cargo
which is stated as being carried on deck but which is, in fact, carried below deck.
Where the carrier’s terms and conditions of carriage incorporate the Hague-Visby Rules, then in the absence of any
term expressly providing to the contrary those terms will not cover live animals or deck cargo. A shipper of live
animals or deck cargo should therefore make a special contract with the carrier, and should specifically state “FOR
DECK CARRIAGE” on his shipping note.
Related other info pages
- What is a bill of lading ?
A bill of lading is a receipt for goods either received (before shipment) or shipped on board.
It provides good evidence of the existence and terms of a contract between the shipper and carrier ...
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- Function of a bill of lading in cargo ships agreement
a bill of lading is only prima facie evidence as to the quantity, weight and condition of goods
shipped, i.e. if a bill is signed for a greater quantity of cargo than is actually shipped, it may be possible, provided
the bill is not endorsed to a third party,...
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- Bill of lading related problems
Problems may arise handling a bill of lading....
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Bolero is designed for all parties in the trade process:
importers, exporters, freight forwarders, port authorities, inspection agencies, carriers, ship’s agents, customs
agencies and financial institutions....
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- Delivery conditions in a time charter agreement
Unless the contract contained in the bill of lading, charter party or sea waybill expressly provides otherwise, goods
stated in the contract of carriage as being carried on deck and which are, in fact, stowed on deck will not be
protected by the Hague-Visby Rules. ...
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- Hague-Visby Rules defining cargo ships obligations and liability
Hague-Visby Rules (HVRs) are properly called the Hague Rules as Amended by the Brussels Protocol 1968 and apply to every bill of lading or any similar document of title relating to the carriage of goods between ports...
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- Hamburg Rules
Hamburg Rules are properly called the United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea 1978, were drafted under the auspices of the UN agency UNCITRAL and introduced in 1992 in response to shippers’ complaints that the Hague and Hague-Visby Rules were unfavourably weighted in favour of the carrier....
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- Outline of a mate's receipt
A mate’s receipt is a receipt, issued and signed by the carrying ship’s chief mate (or the ship’s agent on his behalf), for goods
received on board....
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- Sea waybills and related procedure
A sea waybill is a receipt for goods shipped on board.
It bears good evidence of the existence and terms of a contract between the shipper and carrier, but is not a contract
itself....
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- What is standard shipping note
Standard Shipping Note (SSN) is a shipping document widely used in the UK liner trades to accompany a consignment of goods from their place of origin (e.g. a factory) to the place of loading (e.g. an inland container depot) or the port of shipment....
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