Under Hague-Visby rules, what are the carrier's primary duties and the standard of liability for loss or damage to cargo?

Under Hague-Visby rules, what are the carrier's primary duties and the standard of liability for loss or damage to cargo?

• A. The carrier must exercise due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy, properly manned, equipped, and supplied; liability for loss or damage to cargo unless caused by perils of the sea, inherent vice, or improper packing/loading.
• B. The carrier has no duty to seaworthiness.
• C. The carrier is strictly liable for all cargo loss or damage.
• D. The carrier must insure cargo for loss.

Answer: (A)

Under Hague-Visby, the carrier’s main duties are to exercise due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy, properly manned, equipped, and supplied, and to take care of the cargo in transit. The liability standard is fault-based rather than strict: the carrier is liable for loss or damage to cargo unless they can show they complied with the due diligence obligation and the loss or damage arose from one of the listed exceptions, such as perils of the sea, inherent vice of the goods, or improper packing/loading. In other words, the carrier isn’t automatically responsible for every loss; if the loss is due to a peril of the sea, an inherent vice, or improper packing/loading, the carrier may be released from liability.

Under Hague-Visby, the carrier’s main duties are to exercise due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy, properly manned, equipped, and supplied, and to take care of the cargo in transit. The liability standard is fault-based rather than strict: the carrier is liable for loss or damage to cargo unless they can show they complied with the due diligence obligation and the loss or damage arose from one of the listed exceptions, such as perils of the sea, inherent vice of the goods, or improper packing/loading. In other words, the carrier isn’t automatically responsible for every loss; if the loss is due to a peril of the sea, an inherent vice, or improper packing/loading, the carrier may be released from liability.