Freight forwarder liability

Freight forwarder liability is the forwarder’s exposure for loss, damage, or delay to goods it arranges to move, set by the standard trading conditions it contracts under. Under the FIATA Model Rules for Freight Forwarding Services and the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions, liability for loss of or damage to goods is capped at 2 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, and this cap stands regardless of any value the customer declares for customs. Other claims are limited to the lower of 2 SDR per kg or 75,000 SDR per event, with an annual aggregate cap. The forwarder acts either as agent or as contracting principal (carrier), which changes whether carriage conventions such as the Hague-Visby Rules or CMR apply.