China: carrier liability conventions for cargo
Which international cargo liability regimes China is bound by, from the treaty depositaries' records.
Summary
- Ocean (shipments from China): no Hague-family convention by treaty; Hague-Visby Rules shown as an indicative contractual default.
- Air: Montreal Convention 1999 (26 SDR/kg) on routes to other MC99 parties.
- Road: not a CMR party; national law/contract governs.
- Rail: not an OTIF Member State.
Ocean
| Instrument | Status | Date / note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hague Rules 1924 | To confirm | Mainland China is not listed as a party. China notified the depositary that the 1924 Convention continues to apply to Hong Kong SAR (from 1 Jul 1997) and Macao SAR (from 20 Dec 1999). | Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (depositary): States bound by the 1924 Bills of Lading Convention |
| Visby Protocol 1968 | To confirm | Applies to Hong Kong SAR per China's 1997 notification; mainland China not listed. | CMI, Status of ratifications of the Brussels maritime law conventions (CMI Yearbook 2016 extract) |
| SDR Protocol 1979 | To confirm | Applies to Hong Kong SAR per China's 1997 notification; mainland China not listed. | Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (depositary): States bound by the 1979 SDR Protocol |
| Hamburg Rules 1978 | Not a party | UN Treaty Collection, Hamburg Rules (XI-D-3) |
National law (to confirm): Mainland China applies its own Maritime Code (1993) to international sea carriage. Its limit figures are to confirm against the official text.
Air
| Instrument | Status | Date / note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Convention 1999 | Party | 1 Jun 2005 Entry into force 31 Jul 2005. | ICAO, Current list of parties to the Montreal Convention 1999 |
| Warsaw Convention 1929 | Party | 20 Jul 1958 | ICAO, Parties to the Warsaw Convention 1929 and The Hague Protocol 1955 |
| The Hague Protocol 1955 | Party | 20 Aug 1975 | ICAO, Parties to the Warsaw Convention 1929 and The Hague Protocol 1955 |
| Montreal Additional Protocol No. 4 | To confirm | MAP4 status not retrieved from ICAO during this build. |
Road
| Instrument | Status | Date / note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMR 1956 | Not a party | UN Treaty Collection, CMR (XI-B-11) |
Rail
| Instrument | Status | Date / note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| COTIF 1999 / CIM | Not a party | Not listed among OTIF Member States. | OTIF, Member States |
Notes
- China–Europe rail usually involves SMGS and CIM documents; not covered by our calculator yet.
FAQ
Is China a party to the Hague-Visby Rules?
China is not listed by the Belgian depositary as a party to the Visby or SDR Protocols. Check national law and your bill of lading.
Which air cargo liability limit applies to flights from China?
China is a party to the Montreal Convention 1999 (ratification/accession 1 Jun 2005). Between MC99 parties the cargo limit is 26 SDR per kg from 28 December 2024.
Does CMR apply to trucking from China?
China is not listed as a CMR party. CMR can still apply to a road leg if the other country is a party, since CMR applies when either the place of taking over or delivery is in a contracting country.
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Prototype: this form is not connected yet and stores nothing.Status checked against depositary records on 2026-10-16. "Not a party" means not listed by the depositary. General information only, not legal or insurance advice. Limits depend on the contract, the documents issued, declared values, national law and the facts of each case. Check the primary sources and consult a qualified professional before relying on any figure.