Japan: carrier liability conventions for cargo
Which international cargo liability regimes Japan is bound by, from the treaty depositaries' records.
Summary
- Ocean (shipments from Japan): Hague-Visby Rules.
- 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 | Denounced | Ratified 1 Jul 1957; denounced 1 Jun 1992 | CMI, Status of ratifications of the Brussels maritime law conventions (CMI Yearbook 2016 extract) |
| Visby Protocol 1968 | To confirm | Not listed separately in the depositary's 1968 list; Japan is party to the 1979 SDR Protocol, which amends the 1968 text. | Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (depositary): States bound by the 1968 Visby Protocol (last modified 28 May 2021) |
| SDR Protocol 1979 | Party | 1 Mar 1993 (ratification) | 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): Applied through Japan's International Carriage of Goods by Sea Act; details to confirm.
Air
| Instrument | Status | Date / note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Convention 1999 | Party | 20 Jun 2000 (acceptance) Entry into force 4 Nov 2003. | ICAO, Current list of parties to the Montreal Convention 1999 |
| Warsaw Convention 1929 | Party | 20 May 1953 | ICAO, Parties to the Warsaw Convention 1929 and The Hague Protocol 1955 |
| The Hague Protocol 1955 | Party | 10 Aug 1967 | 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 |
FAQ
Is Japan a party to the Hague-Visby Rules?
Yes. Japan is listed by the depositary as a party to the 1979 SDR Protocol.
Which air cargo liability limit applies to flights from Japan?
Japan is a party to the Montreal Convention 1999 (ratification/accession 20 Jun 2000 (acceptance)). Between MC99 parties the cargo limit is 26 SDR per kg from 28 December 2024.
Does CMR apply to trucking from Japan?
Japan 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.