Why were international rules needed for bills of lading?

International rules for bills of lading were needed to resolve conflicts of law that emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries. As nations pursued narrow national interests through individual legislative enactments and judicial decisions, the previously uniform law of the sea was displaced, creating legal inconsistencies that hampered the movement of goods during the Industrial Revolution.2

Furthermore, carriers frequently included printed clauses in bills of lading intended to excuse them from liability for loss or damage to goods. To address these issues, the Hague Rules were introduced in 1921 and later formalized in the 1924 International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading. These rules established standard, non-negotiable obligations for carriers—such as the duty to provide a seaworthy vessel—and declared clauses that attempted to relieve carriers of liability for negligence in handling or stowing cargo to be null and void. This international framework restored uniformity to maritime commerce and protected the rights of cargo owners.12