Rotterdam Rules
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea (New York, 2008)
This convention is not in force
No shipment moves under it today. The figures below are what the instrument says, not a right anybody currently has.
When it applies
Not in force. It has not attracted the ratifications it needs, and no shipment moves under it today. Included because it is quoted in trade press as though it were live, and because its numbers show where the drafters thought the limits should sit.
Limit
Article 59875 SDR per package or shipping unit, or 3 SDR per kilogram — whichever is higher. Against Hague-Visby that is +31% per package and +50% per kilogram.
Notice of loss
Article 23Notice at or before delivery where the loss is apparent; within seven working days at the place of delivery otherwise.
Time bar
Article 62Two years.
When the limit is lost
Personal act or omission with intent, or recklessly and with knowledge.
What the cap pays on a sample consignment
Applying the published limit to a sample consignment of 1,000 kg gross, 10 packages, invoice value US$120,000. The consignment is an illustration chosen so the arithmetic is checkable — it is not an average, a typical shipment or a measurement.
No conversion between SDR and any currency is shown. The International Monetary Fund revalues the SDR every business day, so a converted figure printed on a page is wrong by the time it is read.
What this means for cover
Treat any quoted Rotterdam figure as a proposal, not a right. If a counterparty tells you your recovery is 3 SDR a kilogram, ask which convention their bill of lading actually incorporates.
Other sea regimes
Sources
This page summarises the instruments above. It is not the wording, and it is not legal advice. Where a summary conflicts with a convention text, a policy wording or a certificate, that document governs.
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