GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026
York-Antwerp Rules
A vessel is in distress and the master orders cargo jettisoned to save the ship—who bears the loss?
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Source: https://comitemaritime.org/work/york-antwerp-rules/
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Definition & Explanation
A vessel is in distress and the master orders cargo jettisoned to save the ship—who bears the loss? The York-Antwerp Rules provide the answer. Developed and periodically revised by the Comité Maritime International (CMI), they are a private international ruleset defining which sacrifices and extraordinary expenditures qualify as general average acts and how the resulting contributions are apportioned among shipowners, cargo interests, and freight. First codified in 1877 and last revised in 2016, they are incorporated by reference into virtually every bill of lading and marine insurance policy worldwide—without requiring ratification by any state. This makes them the de facto global standard for general average adjustment, sparing average adjusters and courts from having to fall back on divergent national laws. They are distinct from IMO instruments, which constitute binding public maritime law.
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