COGSA 1936: Carriage of Goods by Sea Act - Primary US federal law governing ocean bills of lading for international shipments. Establishes carrier liability limits, duties, and obligations for foreign shipments to/from US ports.
Harter Act 1893: Federal law governing domestic ocean shipments, regulating carrier liability for cargo damage and covering periods before loading and after discharge.
Pomerene Act: Federal Bills of Lading Act that governs the negotiability of bills of lading and establishes rules for transfer of title in maritime shipping.
Ocean Shipping Reform Act: Regulates common carrier practices and establishes requirements for publishing rates in ocean shipping.
International Maritime Conventions: Including The Hague Rules, Hague-Visby Rules, and Hamburg Rules, though US primarily follows COGSA for international shipments.
FMC Regulations: Federal Maritime Commission regulations governing publishing requirements and documentation standards for ocean shipping.
US Customs Regulations: Requirements for documentation and security filing in relation to ocean shipments entering or leaving US ports.
Liability Limitations: Statutory and contractual provisions limiting carrier liability, including monetary limits and time bars for claims.
Notice Periods: Mandatory timeframes for filing claims and giving notice of loss or damage to cargo.
Goods Description Requirements: Legal requirements for accurate and complete description of goods in the bill of lading.
Jurisdiction Clauses: Legal provisions determining which courts have jurisdiction over disputes arising from the bill of lading.
Arbitration Provisions: Terms governing the resolution of disputes through arbitration rather than court proceedings.
Force Majeure Terms: Provisions dealing with circumstances beyond parties' control that may affect performance of shipping obligations.
Carrier Responsibilities: Legal obligations of the carrier including proper loading, stowage, custody, care, and discharge of cargo.
Shipper Responsibilities: Legal obligations of the shipper including proper declaration of goods, packaging, and dangerous cargo notifications.
