Rotterdam Rules ‘a Long Way Off’

(International Freighting Weekly – Damian Brett)

Forwarder groups opposed to the Rotterdam Rules have refused to accept that they will become the dominant liability regime, despite 20 countries having signed up. Last week, the UN announced that the landlocked African country of Niger had become the 20th nation to indicate its intention to ratify the Rotterdam Rules in the future.

But the British International Freight Association (BIFA) said that this did not necessarily mean they would go on to ratify them. The Rotterdam Rules would not come into force for a further year after they are individually ratified by 20 nations, it added. “In order for The Rotterdam Rules to enter into force it will need 20 countries to ratify the convention. This involves more than just a signature,” it said. Read more here.