1. Definitions
“Carriage” means the whole or any part of the carriage, loading, unloading, handling and any and all other services whatsoever undertaken by the Carrier in relation to the Goods.
“Carrier” means Donewell Logistics LLC of Ministerial Area, 2 Morocco Lane, Off Independence Ave, Accra, Ghana.
“Container” includes any container (including an open top container), flat rack, platform, trailer, transportable tank, pallet or any other similar article used to consolidate the Goods and any connected equipment.
“Freight” includes all charges payable to the Carrier in accordance with the applicable Tariff and this bill of lading.
“Goods” means the whole or any part of the cargo and any packaging accepted from the Shipper and includes any Container not supplied by or on behalf of the Carrier.
“Hague Rules” means the provisions of the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules relating to Bills of Lading signed at Brussels on 25th August 1924.
“Holder” means any Person for the time being in possession of this Bill of Lading or to whom rights of suit and/or liability under this bill of lading have been transferred or vested.
“Merchant” includes the Shipper, Holder, Consignee, Receiver of the Goods, any Person owning or entitled to the possession of the Goods or of this bill of lading and anyone acting on behalf of such Person.
“Multimodal Transport” arises if the Place of Receipt and/or the Place of Delivery are indicated on the reverse hereof in the relevant boxes.
“Ocean Transport” arises if the Carriage is not Multimodal Transport.
“Person” includes an individual, corporation, or other legal entity.
“Subcontractor” includes owners, charterers and operators of vessels (other than the Carrier), stevedores, terminal and groupage operators, road and rail transport operators, warehousemen, and any independent contractors employed by the Carrier performing the Carriage or whose services or equipment have been used for the Carriage and any direct or indirect subcontractors, servants and agents thereof whether in direct contractual privity or not.
“Terms and Conditions” means all terms, rights, defences, provisions, conditions, exceptions, limitations and liberties hereof.
“US COGSA” means the US Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1936.
“Vessel” means any water borne craft used in the Carriage under this bill of lading which may be a feeder vessel or an ocean vessel.
2. Carrier’s Tariff
The terms and conditions of the Carrier’s applicable Tariff are incorporated herein. Attention is drawn to the terms therein relating to free storage time and to container and vehicle demurrage or detention. Copies of the relevant provisions of the applicable Tariff are obtainable from the Carrier upon request. In the case of inconsistency between this bill of lading and the applicable Tariff, the bill of lading shall prevail.
3. Warranty
The Merchant warrants that in agreeing to the Terms and Conditions hereof he is, or has the authority to contract on behalf of, the Person owning or entitled to possession of the Goods and this bill of lading.
4. Sub Contracting
4.1 The Carrier shall be entitled to sub contract on any terms whatsoever the whole or any part of the Carriage.
4.2 It is hereby expressly agreed that:
(a) No Subcontractor, agent or servant shall in any circumstances whatsoever be under any liability whatsoever to the Merchant for any loss, damage or delay of whatsoever kind arising or resulting directly or indirectly from any act, neglect or default on the Subcontractor, agent or servant’s part while acting in the course of or in connection with the Goods or the Carriage of the Goods.
(b)
(i) The Merchant undertakes that no claim or allegation whether arising in contract, bailment, tort or otherwise shall be made against any servant, agent, or Subcontractor of the Carrier which imposes or attempts to impose upon any of them or any vessel owned or chartered by any of them any liability whatsoever in connection with the Goods or the Carriage of the Goods whether or not arising out of negligence on the part of such Person. The Subcontractor, agent or servant shall also be entitled to enforce the foregoing covenant against the Merchant; and
(ii) if any such claim or allegation should nevertheless be made, to indemnify the Carrier against all consequences thereof.
(c) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of this clause, every exemption, limitation, condition and liberty contained herein (other than Art III rule 8 of the Hague Rules) and every right, exemption from liability, defence and immunity of whatsoever nature applicable to the Carrier or to which the Carrier is entitled hereunder including the right to enforce any jurisdiction provision contained herein (clause 26) shall also be available and shall extend to every such Subcontractor, agent or servant, who shall be entitled to enforce the same against the Merchant.
4.3 The provisions of clause 4.2(c) including but not limited to the undertaking of the Merchant contained therein, shall extend to all claims or allegations of whatsoever nature against other Persons chartering space on the carrying vessel.
4.4 The Merchant further undertakes that no claim or allegation in respect of the Goods shall be made against the Carrier by any Person other than in accordance with these Terms and Conditions which imposes or attempts to impose upon the Carrier any liability whatsoever in connection with the Goods or the Carriage of the Goods, whether or not arising out of negligence on the part of the Carrier, and if any such claim or allegation should nevertheless be made, to indemnify the Carrier against all consequences thereof.
5. Carrier’s Responsibility: Ocean Transport
5.1 Where the Carriage is Ocean Transport, the Carrier undertakes to perform and/or in his own name to procure performance of the Carriage from the Port of Loading to the Port of Discharge. The liability of the Carrier for loss of or damage to the Goods occurring between the time of acceptance by the Carrier of custody of the Goods at the Port of Loading and the time of the Carrier tendering the Goods for delivery at the Port of Discharge shall be determined in accordance with Articles 1-8 of the Hague Rules save as is otherwise provided in these Terms and Conditions. These articles of the Hague Rules shall apply as a matter of contract.
5.2 The Carrier shall have no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage to the Goods, howsoever caused, if such loss or damage arises before acceptance by the Carrier of custody of the Goods or after the Carrier tendering the cargo for delivery. Notwithstanding the above, to the extent any applicable compulsory law provides to the contrary, the Carrier shall have the benefit of every right, defence, limitation and liberty in the Hague Rules as applied by clause 5.1 during such additional compulsory period of responsibility, notwithstanding that the loss or damage did not occur at sea.
5.3 Where US COGSA applies then the provisions stated in the said Act shall govern during Carriage to or from a container yard or container freight station at the Port of Loading before loading on the vessel or at the Port of Discharge before delivery to an inland carrier.
5.4 If the Carrier is requested by the Merchant to procure Carriage by an inland carrier and the inland carrier in his discretion agrees to do so, such Carriage shall be procured by the Carrier as agent only to the Merchant and Carrier shall have no liability for such carriage or the acts or omissions of such inland carrier.
6. Carrier’s Responsibility: Multimodal Transport
Where the Carriage is Multimodal Transport, the Carrier undertakes to perform and/or in his own name to procure performance of the Carriage from the Place of Receipt or the Port of Loading, whichever is applicable, to the Port of Discharge or the Place of Delivery, whichever is applicable. The Carrier shall have no liability whatsoever for loss or damage to the Goods occurring before acceptance by the Carrier of custody of the Goods or after the Carrier tendering the Goods for delivery at the applicable points, and, the Carrier shall be liable for loss or damage occurring during the Carriage only to the extent set out below:
6.1 Where the stage of Carriage where loss or damage occurred is not known.
(a) The Carrier shall be relieved of liability for any loss or damage where such loss or damage was caused by:
(i) an act or omission of the Merchant or Person acting on behalf of the Merchant other than the Carrier, his servant, agent or Subcontractor;
(ii) compliance with instructions of any Person entitled to give them;
(iii) insufficient or defective condition of packing or marks;
(iv) handling, loading, stowage or unloading of the Goods by the Merchant or any Person acting on his behalf;
(v) inherent vice of the Goods;
(vi) strike, lock out, stoppage or restraint of labour, from whatever cause, whether partial or general;
(vii) a nuclear incident;
(viii) any cause or event which the Carrier could not avoid and the consequences whereof he could not prevent by the exercise of reasonable diligence.
(b) The burden of proof that the loss or damage was due to a cause(s) or event(s) specified in clause 6.1 shall rest on the Carrier, but if there is any evidence the loss or damage is attributable to one or more cause or event specified in clause 6.1(a)(iii), (iv) or (v), it shall be presumed that it was so caused. The Merchant shall, however, be entitled to prove that the loss or damage was not, in fact, caused either wholly or partly by one or more of these causes or events.
6.2 Where the stage of Carriage where the loss or damage occurred is known notwithstanding anything provided for in clause 6.1 and subject to clause 18, the liability of the Carrier in respect of such loss or damage shall be determined:
(a) if the loss or damage is known to have occurred during Carriage by sea for shipments not to or from the United States of America or waterborne Carriage not in Ghana. by the Hague Rules Articles 1-8. These articles of the Hague Rules shall apply as a matter of contract; or
(b) if the loss or damage is known to have occurred during any inland carriage not in Ghana in accordance with the contract of carriage or tariffs of any inland carrier in whose custody the loss or damage occurred or in accordance with clauses 6.1 and clause 7.2(a), whichever imposes lesser liability on the Carrier; or
(c) if the loss or damage is known to have occurred during Carriage by sea, for shipments to or from the United States of America, or waterborne Carriage in the United States of America or Carriage to or from a container yard or container freight station at Port of Loading before loading on the carrying vessel or at the Port of Discharge before delivery to the inland carrier, by the provisions of Ghana COGSA; or
(d) if the loss or damage is known to have occurred during any inland carriage in Ghana , in accordance with the contract of carriage or tariffs of any inland carrier in whose custody the loss or damage occurred or Ghana COGSA whichever imposes lesser liability on the Carrier.
7. Compensation and Liability Provisions
7.1 Subject always to the Carrier’s right to limit liability as provided for herein, if the Carrier is liable for compensation in respect of loss of or damage to the Goods, such compensation shall be calculated by reference to the value of the Goods plus Freight and insurance if paid. The value of the Goods shall be determined with reference to the commercial invoice, customs declaration, any prevailing market price (at the place and time they are delivered or should have been delivered), production price or the reasonable value of Goods of the same kind and/or quality.
7.2 Save as is provided in clause 7.3:
(a) the Carrier’s liability shall in no event exceed 2 SDR per kilo of the gross weight of the Goods lost, damaged or in respect of which a claim of whatsoever nature arises unless clause 7.2(b) applies;
(b) for shipments to or from Ghana, the liability of the Carrier and/or Vessel shall not exceed USD 500 per Package or customary freight unit, or any lesser limitation afforded per Clause 6.2.
7.3 The Merchant agrees and acknowledges that the Carrier has no knowledge of the value of the Goods and higher compensation than that provided for in this bill of lading may be claimed only when, with the consent of the Carrier, (i) for multimodal shipments from Ghana where Ghana inland carriage is undertaken, the Merchant elects to avoid any liability limitation provided herein by prepaying extra freight and opting for full liability under the Carmack Amendment by complying with the terms in Carrier’s Tariff; and (ii) in all other cases, the Shipper declares and the Carrier states the value of the Goods declared by the Shipper upon delivery to the Carrier has been stated in the box marked “Declared Value” on the reverse of this bill of lading and extra freight paid. In that case, the amount of the declared value shall be substituted for the limits laid down in this bill of lading. Any partial loss or damage shall be adjusted pro rata on the basis of such declared value.
7.4 Nothing in this bill of lading shall operate to limit or deprive the Carrier of any statutory protection, defence, exception or limitation of liability authorised by any applicable laws, statutes or regulations of any country. The Carrier shall have the benefit of the said laws, statutes or regulations as if it were the owner of any carrying Vessel.
8. General
8.1 The Carrier does not undertake that the Goods or any documents relating thereto shall arrive or be available at any point or place at any stage during the Carriage or at the Port of Discharge or the Place of Delivery at any particular time or to meet any particular requirement of any licence, permission, sale contract, or credit of the Merchant or any market or use of the Goods and the Carrier shall under no circumstances whatsoever and howsoever arising be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage caused by delay. If the Carrier should nevertheless be held legally liable for any such direct or indirect or consequential loss or damage caused by delay, such liability shall in no event exceed the Freight paid.
8.2 Save as is otherwise provided herein, the Carrier shall in no circumstances be liable for direct or indirect or consequential loss or damage arising from any other cause whatsoever or for loss of profits.
8.3 Once the Goods have been received by the Carrier for Carriage the Merchant shall not be entitled neither to impede, delay, suspend or stop or otherwise interfere with the Carrier’s intended manner of performance of the Carriage or the exercise of the liberties conferred by this bill of lading nor to instruct or require delivery of the Goods at other Port or Place than the Port of Discharge or Place of Delivery named on the reverse hereof or such other Port or Place selected by the Carrier in the exercise of the liberties herein, for any reason whatsoever. The Merchant shall indemnify the Carrier against all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, delays, attorney fees and/or expenses caused to the Carrier, his Subcontractors, servants or agents or to any other cargo or to the owner of such cargo during the Carriage arising or resulting from any impediment, delay, suspension, stoppage or interference whatsoever in the Carriage of the Goods.
8.4 These Terms and Conditions shall govern the responsibility of the Carrier in connection with or arising out of the supplying of a Container to the Merchant whether before, during or after the Carriage.
9. Notice of Loss, Time Bar
Unless notice of loss or damage and the general nature of such loss or damage be given in writing to the Carrier or his agents at the Place of Delivery (or Port of Discharge if no Place of Delivery is named on the reverse hereof) before or at the time of removal of the Goods or if the loss or damage is not apparent within three days thereafter, such removal shall be prima facie evidence of the delivery by the Carrier of the Goods as described in this bill of lading. In any event, the Carrier shall be discharged from all liability whatsoever in respect of the Goods unless suit is brought within one year after their delivery or the date when they should have been delivered.
10. Application of Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions shall apply in any action against the Carrier for any loss or damage whatsoever and howsoever occurring (and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, including delay, late delivery and/or delivery without surrender of this bill of lading) and whether the action be founded in contract, bailment or in tort and even if the loss, damage or delay arose as a result of unseaworthiness, negligence or fundamental breach of contract.
11. Shipper-Packed Containers
If a Container has not been packed by the Carrier:
11.1 This bill of lading shall be a receipt only for such a Container;
11.2 The Carrier shall not be liable for loss of or damage to the contents and the Merchant shall indemnify the Carrier against any injury, loss, damage, liability or expense whatsoever incurred by the Carrier if such loss of or damage to the contents and/or such injury, loss, damage, liability or expense has been caused by any matter beyond his control including, inter alia, without prejudice to the generality of this exclusion:
(a) the manner in which the Container has been packed; or
(b) the unsuitability of the Goods for carriage in Containers; or
(c) the unsuitability or defective condition of the Container; or
(d) the incorrect setting of any thermostatic, ventilation, or other special controls thereof, provided that, if the Container has been supplied by the Carrier, this unsuitability or defective condition could have been apparent upon reasonable inspection by the Merchant at or prior to the time the Container was packed.
11.3 The Merchant is responsible for the packing and sealing of all shipper packed Containers and, if a shipper packed Container is delivered by the Carrier with any original seal intact, the Carrier shall not be liable for any shortage of Goods ascertained at delivery.
11.4 The Shipper shall inspect Containers before packing them and the use of Containers shall be prima facie evidence of their being sound and suitable for use.
12. Perishable Cargo
12.1 Goods, including Goods of a perishable nature, shall be carried in ordinary Containers without special protection, services or other measures unless there is noted on the reverse side of this bill of lading that the Goods will be carried in a refrigerated, heated, electrically ventilated or otherwise specifically equipped Container or are to receive special attention in any way. The Merchant undertakes not to tender for Carriage any Goods which require refrigeration, ventilation or any other specialised attention without giving written notice of their nature and the required temperature or other setting of the thermostatic, ventilation or other special controls. If the above requirements are not complied with, the Carrier shall not be liable for any loss of or damage to the Goods howsoever arising.
12.2 The Merchant should note that refrigerated Containers are not designed
(a) to freeze down cargo which has not been presented for stuffing at or below its designated carrying temperature and the Carrier shall not be responsible for the consequences of cargo being presented at a higher temperature than that required for the Carriage; nor
(b) to monitor and control humidity levels, albeit a setting facility exists, in that humidity is influenced by many external factors and the Carrier does not guarantee the maintenance of any intended level of humidity inside any Container.
12.3 The term “apparent good order and condition” when used in this bill of lading with reference to goods which require refrigeration, ventilation or other specialised attention does not mean that the Goods, when received, were verified by the Carrier as being at the carrying temperature, humidity level or other condition designated by the Merchant.
12.4 The Carrier shall not be liable for any loss of or damage to the Goods arising from latent defects, derangement, breakdown, defrosting, stoppage of the refrigerating, ventilating or any other specialised machinery, plant, insulation and/or apparatus of the Container, Vessel, conveyance and any other facilities, provided that the Carrier shall before and at the beginning of the Carriage exercise due diligence to maintain the Container supplied by the Carrier in an efficient state.