What is the CMR Convention in international transport law?

Dutch term: CMR-verdrag | Legal basis: Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR)

The CMR Convention (Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road, Geneva 1956) is the international treaty governing the carrier's liability for loss of or damage to goods during international road transport. It applies automatically to all contracts for the international carriage of goods by road where the place of taking over and the place of delivery are in two different CMR-contracting states.

The carrier is liable for loss, damage or delay from the time of taking over the goods to the time of delivery, unless it can prove one of the limited defences (inherent defect, instructions of the sender, special risk). Liability is capped at 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight of the lost or damaged goods. The limitation period for CMR claims is one year (three years in cases of wilful misconduct or equivalent fault).

Why it matters for international businesses

For international trade through the Netherlands, CMR applies to the road transport leg. Understanding the carrier's limited liability and the short limitation period is essential for recovering transport losses.