Not withstanding the heading “Combined Transport Bill of Lading,” the provisions set out and referred to in this document shall also apply if the transport as described on the face of the Bill of Lading is performed by one mode of transport only.
All carriage under this Bill of Lading to or from the United States shall have effect subject to the provisions of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act of the United States, 46 U.S.C. sections 1300‐1315 (hereafter, “COGSA”). Carriage to or from Canada shall have effect under the Carriage of Goods by Water Act of Canada (“COGWA”). All carriage to and from other States shall be governed by the law of any state making the Hague Rules or Hague‐ Visby Rules compulsorily applicable to this Bill of Lading or if there be no such law, in accordance with the Hague Rules. The provisions of applicable law as set forth above shall apply to carriage of goods by inland waterways and reference to carriage by sea in such Rules or legislation shall be deemed to include reference to inland waterways. Except as may be otherwise specifically provided herein, said law shall govern before the goods are loaded on and after they are discharged from the vessel whether the goods are carried on deck or under deck and throughout the entire time the goods are in the custody of the carrier.
Carrier shall be entitled to subcontract directly or indirectly on any terms the whole or any part of the handling, storage, or carriage of the goods and all duties undertaken by Carrier in relation to the goods. Every servant or agent or subcontractor (including sub‐subcontractors) of Carrier shall be entitled to the same rights, exemptions from liability, defenses and immunities to which Carrier is entitled. For these purposes, Carrier shall be deemed to be acting as agent or trustee for such servants or agents or subcontractors, who shall be deemed to be parties to the contract evidenced in this Bill of Lading.
Carrier is entitled to perform the transport in any reasonable manner and by any reasonable means, methods and routes. The Ship shall have the liberty, either with or without the goods on board, to at any time, adjust navigational instruments, make trial trips, dry dock, go to repair yards, shift berths, take in fuel or stores, embark or disembark any persons, carry contraband and hazardous goods, sail with or without pilots and save or attempt to save life or property. Delays resulting from such activities shall not be deemed a deviation.
Carrier is responsible for transmitting information to U.S. Customs prior to lading of the Goods including, without limitation, precise commodity descriptions, numbers and quantities of the lowest external packaging unit, the shipper’s complete name and address, the consignee’s or the owner’s or owner’s representative’s complete name and address, hazardous materials codes, and container seal numbers. For this, and other purposes, Carrier relies on information provided by Merchant. Merchant warrants to Carrier that all particulars of the goods, including, without limitation, the precise descriptions, marks, number, quantity, weight, seal numbers, identities of shipper and consignee and hazardous materials codes furnished by Merchant are correct and Merchant shall indemnify Carrier against all claims, penalties, losses or damages arising from any inaccuracy.
If goods are not received by Carrier already in containers, Carrier may pack them in any type container. Merchant shall be liable to Carrier for damage to Carrier’s containers or equipment if such damage occurs while such equipment is in control of Merchant or his agents. Merchant indemnifies Carrier for any damage or injury to persons or property caused by Carrier’s containers or equipment during handling by or when in possession or control of Merchant.
If Carrier receives the goods already packed into containers:
Carrier has the right to carry the goods in any container under deck or on deck. Carrier is not required to note “on deck stowage” on the face of this Bill of Lading and goods so carried shall constitute under deck stowage for all purposes including General Average. Except as otherwise provided by any law applicable to this contract, if this Bill of Lading states that the cargo is stowed on deck, then Carrier shall not be liable for any non‐delivery, misdelivery, delay or loss to goods carried on deck, whether or not caused by Carrier’s negligence or the ship’s unseaworthiness.
Carrier shall have the right to deliver the goods at any time at any place designated by Carrier within the commercial or geographic limits of the port of discharge or place of delivery shown in this Bill of Lading. Carrier’s responsibility shall cease when delivery has been made to Merchant, any person authorized by Merchant to receive the goods, or in any manner or to any other person in accordance with the custom and usage of the port of discharge or place of delivery. If goods should remain in Carrier’s custody after discharge from the ship and possession is not taken by Merchant, after notice, within the time allowed in Carrier’s applicable tariff, the goods may be considered to have been delivered to Merchant or abandoned at Carrier’s option, and may be disposed of or stored at Merchant’s expense.
Written notice of claims for loss of or damage to goods occurring or presumed to have occurred while in the custody of Carrier must be given to Carrier at the port of discharge before or at the time of removal of the goods by one entitled to delivery. If such notice is not provided, removal shall be prima facie evidence of delivery by Carrier. If such loss or damage is not apparent, Carrier must be given written notice within 3 days of the delivery.
The Carrier shall have a general lien on all property (and documents relating thereto) of Merchant, in its possession, custody or control or in route, for all claims for Charges, expenses or advances incurred by Carrier in connection with any shipments of Merchant. If such claim remains unsatisfied for 30 days after demand for its payment is made, Carrier shall be entitled to sell the goods privately or by auction, without prior notice to the Merchant, as may be necessary to satisfy such lien and the costs of recovery, and apply the net proceeds of such sale to the payment of the amount due Carrier. Any surplus from such sale shall be transmitted to Merchant, and Merchant shall be liable for any deficiency in the sale. The carrier’s general lien shall be in addition to any other rights the carrier has or may acquire under other agreements and/or applicable law, and carrier’s general lien shall survive delivery or release of any specific property of the shipper, consignee and merchant as defined in carrier’s bill of lading.
If Goods go into demurrage, Carrier shall assume all rights of a warehouseman, and this Bill of Lading shall constitute a warehouseman’s non-negotiable receipt. Goods will be delivered to the consignee or other Person(s) entitled to receipt of the goods upon payment of all Charges due. If Goods are not claimed within ten (10) days after demurrage commences, Carrier may exercise its warehouseman’s right to sell or auction such Goods. Carrier may assert a general lien for Charges and expenses in relation to other Goods, whether or not these Goods have been delivered by Carrier.
Carrier shall be discharged from all liability for loss of or damage to goods unless suit is brought within 9 months after delivery of the goods or the date when the goods should have been delivered. Suit shall not be deemed brought against Carrier until jurisdiction shall have been obtained over Carrier by service of summons. The time bar for overcharge claims shall be 36 months.
Any claim or dispute arising under this Bill of Lading shall be determined exclusively according to the laws of the United States and the Merchant agrees that any suits against the Carrier shall be brought in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, which shall have exclusive jurisdiction. The Carrier shall be entitled to avail itself of all the terms and conditions of onward carriers, including such carriers’ forum selection and limits of liability. Carrier reserves the right to bring suit against the Merchant for the collection of freight or other charges in any venue having jurisdiction over Merchant.
If the ship comes into collision with another vessel as a result of negligence of the other vessel and any negligence or fault on the part of Carrier or its servants or subcontractors, Merchant shall indemnify Carrier against all loss or liability to the other or non‐carrying vessel or her owners, insofar as such loss or liability represents loss of, or damage to, or any claim whatsoever of Merchant paid or payable by the other or non‐ carrying vessel or her owners to Merchant and set‐off, recouped or recovered by the other or non‐carrying vessel or her owners as part of their claim against the carrying ship or her owner. This provision shall apply as well where the owners, operators or those in charge of any ship or ships or objects other than, or in addition to, the colliding ships or objects are at fault with respect to a collision or contact.
The goods carried under this Bill of Lading are also subject to all the terms and conditions of the tariff(s) published pursuant to the regulations of the United States Federal Maritime Commission or any other regulatory agency which governs a particular portion of the carriage and the terms are incorporated herein as part of the terms and conditions of this Bill of Lading. Copies of the Carrier’s tariff(s) may be obtained from Carrier or its agents or Carrier’s web-site. In the case of inconsistency between this Bill of Lading and the applicable tariff or the terms and conditions of service, this Bill of Lading shall prevail, with the exception that any regulations relating to Negotiated Rate Arrangements (“NRA”) contained in Carrier’s Rules Tariff, the NRA regulations shall prevail.
If any provision in this Bill of Lading is held to be invalid or unenforceable by any court or regulatory or self-regulatory agency or body, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision. The validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby, and this Bill of Lading contract shall be carried out as is such invalid or unenforceable provisions were not contained herein
No servant or agent of Carrier shall have power to waive or vary any of the terms hereof unless such variation is in writing and is specifically authorized or ratified in writing by Carrier.
This Bill of Lading shall be non-negotiable unless made out “to order,” in which event it shall be negotiable and shall constitute title to the Goods and the holder in due course shall be entitled to receive or to transfer the Goods herein described. If required by the Carrier, the Bill of Lading, duly endorsed, must be surrendered to the agent of the Carrier at the port of discharge, in exchange for delivery order. This Bill of Lading shall be prima facie evidence of the Carrier’s receipt of the Goods as herein described. However, proof to the contrary shall not be admissible when this Bill of Lading has been negotiated or transferred for valuable consideration to a third
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