Hamburg Rules
1978 admiralty law convention
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Through United Nations and Goods
History
The first of the international conventions on the carriage of goods by sea was the Hague Rules of 1924. In 1968, the Hague Rules were updated to become the Hague-Visby Rules, but the changes were modest. The convention still covered only "tackle to tackle" carriage contracts, with no provision for multimodal transport. The industry-changing phenomenon of containerization was barely acknowledged. The 1978 Hamburg Rules were introduced to provide a framework that was both more modern, and less biased in favour of ship-operators. Although the Hamburg Rules were readily adopted by developing countries, they were shunned by richer countries who stuck with Hague and Hague-Visby. It had been expected that a Hague/Hamburg compromise might arise, but instead the more extensive Rotterdam Rules appeared.
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Contents
The Rules apply when goods are being shipped to or from a port in a Contracting State, or when carriage-related documentation has been issued within a Contracting State, and their application covers the time goods are situated in port before shipping and in port after discharge from the ship, as well as the period of actual carriage. The duties ascribed to a "carrier", an "actual carrier", a "shipper" and a "consignee" are defined by the rules.
Relation with other conventions
Article 31 of the Hamburg Convention covers its entry into force, coupled to denunciation of other Rules. Within five years after entry into force of the Hamburg Rules, ratifying states must denounce earlier conventions, specifically the Hague and Hague-Visby Rules.
A long-standing aim has been to have a uniform set of rules to govern carriage of goods, but there are now five different sets: Hague, Hague-Visby, Hague-Visby/SDR, Hamburg and Rotterdam. (The Rotterdam Rules are not yet in force).
Ratifications
As of July 2025, the convention had been ratified by 36 States: