What COTIF/CIM 1999 - Uniform Rules for International Rail Carriage of Goods (Appendix B) requires
The Uniform Rules concerning the Contract for International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM) are Appendix B to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF 1980) as amended by the Protocol of Vilnius 1999, administered by OTIF (Organisation for International Carriage by Rail). CIM entered into force 1 July 2006 and applies across 50 OTIF Member States spanning Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. CIM governs the legal framework for all international rail freight consignments moving under a single CIM Consignment Note (CRN): Art 4 defines scope; Art 6 makes the CRN prima facie evidence of the contract; Arts 10-11 regulate acceptance and loading obligations; Arts 23-25 establish carrier liability for loss, damage, and delay; Art 23(1) imposes strict carrier liability from acceptance to delivery; Art 30(2) caps compensation at SDR 17 per kilogram of gross mass for total or partial loss; delay liability is capped at the amount of carriage charges (Art 33). Art 47 sets a 1-year limitation period (3 years for wilful misconduct or equivalent). Appendix C to COTIF (RID) governs dangerous goods by rail and is mandatory for CIM consignments containing RID-regulated substances. CIM is fully interoperable with CMR road carriage and SMGS (the equivalent rail freight agreement for CIS/Asian rail routes).
Pillar: Logistics & Supply Chain · Authority: OTIF - Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (Berne) - Depositary · Version: 1.0.0 · Last updated:
Primary source: https://otif.org/fileadmin/docs/LegalTexts/COTIF/COTIF1999/COTIF_1999_01_07_2015_e.pdf
SHA-256 integrity: cbf04d9f460e7d42be91b5010385d9099e788f6c8f4250a68a854b7e9b14be20
Primary Citations — 7 traced to source
- OTIF consolidated text; Protocol of Vilnius adopted 3 June 1999; CIM entered into force 1 July 2006; 50 OTIF Member States; Articles 1-6 (scope, CRN), 10-22 (transport procedures), 23-36 (liability), 41-46 (successive carriers), 47 (limitation period), 48-52 (enforcement) — Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF 1980) - Protocol of Vilnius 1999 - Appendix B: Uniform Rules CIM
- RID 2025 (biennial update aligned with ADR 2025); mandatory companion to CIM for dangerous goods consignments; Art 1 CIM references RID for all dangerous goods - classification, packing, marking, labelling, documentation, training — COTIF Appendix C - Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID 2025)
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