Title: Documents' complexities under the Rotterdam Rules

Authors: Ioanna Magklasi

Addresses: Southampton Law School, University of Southampton, Building 4, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to discuss the function of transport documents, deriving from Article 35 of the Rotterdam Rules, which is the new Convention drafted by the United Nations for the international carriage of goods wholly or partly by sea. Although, as the title shows, this is a carriage Convention, it is strongly believed that the Rotterdam Rules will also have an impact on international trade, as the sale contract is the alma mater of all shipping contracts. In the following paper, the function of the transport document will be compared with the mate's receipt in order to identify controversies, which traders should be aware of when concluding their sale, carriage and letters of credit contracts after the Rotterdam Rules come into force.

Keywords: Rotterdam Rules; UN; United Nations; international conventions; carriage of goods; sea transport; maritime law; international trade; transport documents; Incoterms; International Commercial Terms; pre-defined terms; International Chamber of Commerce; ICC; sale contracts; shipping contracts; mate; shipment receipts; letters of credit; trade customs; English law; public law; public policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2011.044995

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2011 Vol.1 No.4, pp.434 - 442

Published online: 31 Mar 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article