Hague Rules 1924

The Hague Rules of 1924, formally the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading, set the first international floor for carrier liability in the carriage of goods by sea. They fix the carrier’s minimum duties (seaworthiness, care of cargo) and a catalogue of immunities, and cap liability per package or unit. The original GBP 100 gold limit and the absence of a per-kilogram alternative were later revised by the 1968 Visby Protocol; the unamended Hague Rules still apply through US COGSA 1936.