GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 19, 2026
Sea Freight Liability
At the moment cargo is loaded aboard a vessel, a liability framework kicks in that will govern any future claim for loss or damage.
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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carriage_of_goods_by_sea
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At the moment cargo is loaded aboard a vessel, a liability framework kicks in that will govern any future claim for loss or damage. Sea freight liability defines the carrier's legal obligation to compensate the shipper or consignee when goods are lost, damaged, or delivered late during ocean transport. The governing rules—primarily the Hague-Visby Rules and, in some jurisdictions, the Hamburg Rules—set both the grounds on which a carrier may escape liability and the maximum amounts payable per package or per kilogram of gross weight. Because statutory limits are often well below the commercial value of the goods, freight forwarders routinely advise shippers to arrange marine cargo insurance to cover the gap. It is important to distinguish carrier liability from freight forwarder liability, which is governed separately by national law and standard trading conditions such as those of FIATA.
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