Chapter 7

Remedies for the Carrier

When the Consignee Fails to Take Delivery

From the above chapters, it can be concluded that delivering the goods properly,
including delivering it at proper place, on proper time and to the proper person, is
the essential obligation on the carrier under the contract of carriage of goods. In
addition, as an implied rule, without otherwise stipulations or customs, the goods
shall be delivered to the consignee or his agent personally.1 In the early English
case Bourne v. Gatliff,2 the jury held that the discharging of goods at the wharf
didnt constitute a proper delivery and the carrier, according to the contract, was
supposed to deliver to the consignee until reasonable time elapsed. Even there is
the agreement on the time and place of delivery, if not agreed otherwise, the goods
shall generally be delivered to the consignee.
However, it is not uncommon that the goods are still kept by the carrier owing to
some reasons or to the defaults on the part of the consignee in taking delivery. For
example, the consignee may be improperly delayed, or the consignee rejects the
goods, and even sometimes, there is no consignee showing up. A Chinese author
calls these situations the hindering of delivery.3 These obstructions for delivery
may result from various reasons, not least delay of the bill of lading and delay by
the consignee. In addition, the consignee may refuse to accept the goods because of
damages to the goods during transit, or disputes under the sale contract, or
difficulties in the market or policy.
1
2
3

Payne& Ivamy, pp.152-153.

Ibid.
Li Wei-jun, On Legal Issues on the Hindering of Delivery under Carriage of Goods by Sea (hereafter as Li
Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery), in Practice and Theory on Maritime Justice, Tang Neng-zhong (chief
editor), 1st ed., Law Press, 2002, PP.16-46.

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In convention, the carrier may not be excused from the duty to deliver the goods
to the consignee even when the latter fails to take them.4 However, the urgency of
the next voyage, extra charges for keeping the goods, additional risks to the safety
of the goods and other reasons might put great pressure on the carrier. Does the
carrier have to keep the goods until the consignee comes to take them over?
The UK is one of the earliest countries that gave carriers statutory remedies
under such circumstance. Sections 493 to 496 of Merchant Shipping Act 1984
provided that the carrier may place the goods in warehouse and dispose of them
under certain conditions.
China Maritime Code provides similarly. When the goods are not taken over by
the consignee, the carrier may store the goods.5 However, due to lack of systematic
supports by other provisions under CMC, the phraseology and the remedy itself
under Art. 86 are rather simple and result in both legal and practical problems.
The questions of whether the carrier is entitled to certain remedies, what will be
the effects of the remedies, and what kinds of remedies are reasonable and
sufficient for the carrier are worth further research. Before answering these
questions, it is necessary to discuss the legal nature of taking delivery.

1. Taking delivery: right or obligation

Delivery is one of the essential obligations on the carrier under the contract of
carriage, but on the other hand, receiving the goods by the consignee is usually the
original objective for the conclusion of the contract. Therefore, delivery is an action
completed by both sides--delivering and taking the delivery together accomplish
the final stage of the contract. The obligation of delivering goods personally under
common law also indicates that delivery includes the part of taking delivery by the
merchant party. However, in maritime law, there is no consensus on the question of
whether the consignee or the merchant party is obligated to take the delivery.
1.1 Both a right and an obligation
Under civil law, taking delivery is receiving the performance by creditor. Is the
receiving of the performance a right or an obligation of the creditor? It is still in
controversy.
Some countries are inclined to regard receiving the performance as an obligation
on the creditor, and some cases had held that the creditor should compensate for the
4
5

Carvers Carriage by Sea, para1562, p.1101.

Art. 86 CMC.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

damages resulted from improper refusal to the performance.6 But in some other
countries, receiving the performance is merely the right of the creditor and he is not
forced to receive delivery.7 For example, in China Taiwan, the prevailing opinion
is the latter, and the creditor has freedom to exercise his right or not except under
several specific contracts.8
Before the enforcement of CLC, there is no uniform opinion on the legal nature
of receiving performance, nor does the CMC make it clear whether the carried
goods must be received at the destination. In my opinion, the types of the contracts
shall determine the legal nature of receiving the performance. As the contracts that
concern with the transfer of the tangible objects are concerned, I prefer the
viewpoint that receiving performance is both a right and an obligation of the
creditor. If the creditor does not receive the concerned goods under the contract, the
goods will be kept by the obligor and will put additional burden on him. So, for the
reason of honesty and good faith, taking the transfer of goods is not only a right but
also an obligation of the obligee. Similarly, taking the goods timely and properly is
an obligation of the consignee or the party of the cargo interests.9 Most Chinese
scholars in maritime law also believe taking delivery is the opposite side of the
delivery by the carrier, and delivery needs cooperation from both sides.10 If the
delivery is just one-side obligation on the carrier, it will be unfair for the carrier and
will break the balance of the legitimate interests between the carrier and the shipper
or consignee,11 which will deviate from the practice of the transfer of the goods.
The Article 309 of CLC states, the consignee shall take the delivery promptly.
Where the consignee claims the goods exceeding the time limited, it shall pay to
the carrier for such expenses as storage of the goods, etc.12 From this provision, it
can be concluded that CLC puts the obligation of taking delivery on the consignee.
However, CLC only emphasizes on the obligation to taking delivery on time, but it
does not deal with the question of whether the consignee is entitled to reject the
goods for various reasons.
Under common law regimes, taking delivery within the fixed period or
6

See Wang Jia-fu, Liang Hui-xing (editors), Science of Chinese Civil Law --Obligatory Rights (hereafter as
Wang Jia-fus Obligatory Rights), 1st ed., Law press, 1997, pp.169-170.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
9
See also the authors article, On Carriers Remedies where the Consignee Fails to Take Delivery under
Maritime Code of P. R. China (hereafter as Zous Carriers Remedies), speech paper of the V International
Conference of Maritime Law, October 2002, Shanghai.
Because it is not always the obligation on the consignee, so I prefer to use the more comprehensive, but a
little vague, term party of cargo interests or merchant party. For further discussions, please see Part 1.2
below.
10
Yin & Guo'
s Carriage Law, p. 148.
11
Zous Carriers Remedies, ibid.
12
The omitted part of Art. 309 in CLC is: After the carriage of goods is completed, if the carrier has the
knowledge of the consignee, it shall notify the consignee promptly and

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reasonable time is generally an obligation on the consignee.13 Not only the UK but
also the USA, Canada and other countries, provide carrier with remedies to land
and warehouse the goods when the goods cannot be taken timely.14 Meanwhile,
many bills of lading indicate that the merchant party shall take delivery of the
Goods within fixed time and provide carrier with remedies such as storage,
unpacking or even applying for any procedures of sale.15
So, in my point of view, taking delivery is both a right and an obligation of the
merchant party. The implications of the right to take the delivery have been
discussed in the former chapters on the carriers responsibilities on delivery. As to
an obligation, the goods shall be taken not only promptly, but also properly.
Whether the goods are taken promptly and properly shall also be determined by the
criteria established in Chapter 3. Goods must be taken over in the manner and the
time stipulated in the agreement or, if without such agreement, in a reasonable way
in accordance with the customs, the practices or the special usages, and it shall not
create unreasonable inconvenience to the carrier.
1.2 Rejection of goods
The rejection of goods by the consignee is also not rare in practice. Is he entitled to
refuse to receive the goods? As a general rule and for the sake of fairness, the
person claiming the goods may refuse improper delivery, i.e., he had no obligation
to receive the goods in any unreasonable ways or in any form or manner other than
what is contracted for.16 For example, without legal excuse, the carrier shall not
deliver the goods at the place other than the agreed destination, or, if taking
delivery is dangerous for consignee (not because of the latent characteristic of the
goods), he can also refuse to receive it. Nevertheless, the person claiming the goods
always had the obligation to mitigate the damage.
In addition, a consignee may probably abandon the damaged goods and opt for
claiming for the compensation against the carrier. In general, consignee must
accept the delivery of damaged goods, must mitigate the damages, and only then

13
14
15

Tetleys Cargo Claims, p.311, fn.60.

Ibid.
E. g. paragraph (2) clause 20 on reverse of the P&O Nedlloyd Bill of Lading: The merchant shall take
delivery of the Goods within the time provided in the Carriers applicable Tariff. If the carrier fails to do so
the Carrier shall be entitled, without notice, to unpack the Goods if packed in Containers and/or to store the
Goods ashore, afloat, in the open or under cover, at the sole risk of the Merchant Paragraph (3): If the
Merchant fails to take delivery of the Goods within thirty days of delivery becoming due under Clause 20
(2), or if in the opinion of the Carrier they are likely to deteriorate
the Carrier may
sell, destroy or
dispose of the Goods and apply any proceeds of sale in reduction of the sums due to the Carrier from the
Merchant.
Tetleys Cargo Claims, p.312.

16

247

Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

may he claim against the carrier.17

However, if the goods have been badly damaged and lost most of their value, or
even become worthless or acquire negative value, is the consignee or other party
still obligated to receive them? CMC does not deal with this issue. Generally
speaking, if taking delivery has become impossible (for example, the cement
transported is concreted by water, the liquid cargo has become solid and is beyond
reconditioning at the destination), the consignee is permitted to refuse them.18 It is
worth attention that determining whether taking delivery is impossible shall be a
matter of fact and there seems no standard criterion. In addition, whether a serious
damage of goods is included in the condition impossible to take delivery is not
clear.
Furthermore, the consignee, as a buyer of the goods may be entitled to reject the
goods under the sale contract if the goods have not meet the specifications set forth
in the sale contract. So, the buyer might refuse to receive the goods from the ship at
the destination even he has received the document of the goods, e.g. bill of
lading.19 In these cases, the goods might be kept on board or in container yards or
other places. From the point of the carrier, he shall not bear the risks arising from
the sale contract. But from the perspective of the buyer, he comes to know the
defects of the goods only after he has inspected them at the destination, so it is very
difficult for him not to affect the carrier when he is exercising the right of rejection.
Most Acts of sale of goods and carriage laws have not dealt with this difficulty
very well. In my opinion, those rights under sales contract are different from the
consignees rights and obligations under contract of carriage. The goods shall not
be kept in the hands of the carrier simply because of the disputes under the sales
contract; otherwise, the carrier may be in an uncertain position of his risks and bear
extra burden arising from the sales contract.20 This confusion will bring chaos to
the relationship between the carriage contract and the sale contract, and may also
destroy the normal operations of the contract system.
According to some scholars, the consignee must take delivery of the damaged
goods and rely on his right of rejection under the contract of sale.21 The CISG
provides a solution for this issue. If the goods dispatched to the buyer have been
placed at his disposal at the destination and the buyer exercises the right of
rejection, he must take possession of them on behalf of the seller, provided that
17
18
19

20
21

Ibid, p.313.
Ibid.
According to Charles Debattista, rejection to accept document and rejection to receive the goods are
regarded as separate and independent rights of the buyer, and he is entitled to exercise either of them even
the buyer has received the other or lost the opportunity to reject the other, i.e. even the buyer has accepted
the document he is still entitled to reject the goods, vise versa. Debatista, 9-26, pp.203-206.
Zous Carriers Remedies,p.4.
Tetleys Cargo Claims, p.313.

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this can be done without payment of the price and without unreasonable
inconvenience or expense, and, this taking possession of goods shall have no
prejudice to the rights and obligations of the buyer under the sales contract.22 But
the buyer does not have to do so, if the seller or a person authorized to take charge
of the goods on his behalf is presented at the destination.23 So, according to this
article, even the buyer under the sales contract has successfully rejected the goods,
they shall not be kept in the hands of the carrier, and the buyer or the seller24 is
obligated to receive them from the carrier.
The greatest difficulty is under an anti-dated or an advanced bill of lading.25 In
the case of these bills, the carrier may usually take part in this defect of the
document, and in China, this inaccuracy is generally regarded as a result of an
action concurrent of the carriers breach of contract and tort. In such case, is the
buyer still entitled to reject the goods against the carrier at the destination even
after he has accepted the document? There is no clear answer to this question. In
my opinion, the aforesaid Art.86 of CISG can provide reference to this situation.
The carrier might be liable for this fraud, but the goods should be received first
by the buyer or the seller.
Moreover, under the CMC, if the goods have been delayed by un-exonerated
fault of the carrier, whether the consignee is still obligated to take the delivery
needs further examination. The CMCs provisions mainly deal with the liability for
compensation on the carrier when a delay in delivery occurs, but do not give other
remedies for the consignee in the abovementioned case. In my opinion, if the delay
is not very serious, mitigation of the damages shall be borne by the person claiming
the damages and the goods should still be received. In the contract law theory of
China, when the performance by the obligor is delayed, and the delay makes the
performance be of no interest for the creditor any longer, the creditor is entitled to
refuse the late performance and claim for the compensation.26
CLC provides a relatively wider right of rescission for the creditor. In Article 94,
when one party to the contract delays in performing the principal debt obligations
and fails, after being urged, to perform them within a reasonable period,27 or
when the party delays in performing the debt obligations or commits other acts in
breach of the contract so that the purpose of the contract is not able to be
realized,28 the other party is entitled to rescind the contract. However, we must be
very prudent in applying the former two rules to the shipping field. First of all, the
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

Art.86 (2) CISG.

Art. 86 (2) CISG.
Professor Tetley puts the obligation on consignee, see Tetleys Cargo Claims, p.313.
See Zous Carriers Remedies, p.4.
Wang Jia-fus Obligatory Rights, pp.163-164.
Art.94 (3) CLC.
Art.94 (4) CLC.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

length of reasonable period will be uncertain, and it will be determined by

respective carriage. In addition, the condition that the purpose of the contract
cannot be realized needs further examination. From the general implication of
contract of carriage, though the delivery is delayed, one of the two contractual
purposes29 that the goods are to be carried from one place to another has been
realized, and the goods are deliverable. So it is difficult to say that the purpose of
the contract of carriage has been defeated. So there is no sufficient reason for the
refusal of goods when they are delayed.
If the delay is very serious, it is then unfair to force the merchant party to receive
the goods. But it also is very difficult to tell whether a delay is serious enough or
not.
Paragraph 4 of Article 50 of the CMC provides, the person entitled to make a
claim for the loss of goods may treat the goods as lost when the carrier has not
delivered the goods within 60 days from the expiry of the time for delivery
specified by express agreement. From this Article, it can be understood that that
the person who is entitled to claim for the goods is not obligated to receive them
when they arrive after 60 days of the agreed time, if he has claimed for the
compensation of total loss before their arrival. However, a question arises. When
the goods arrive after the mentioned 60 days and the person entitled to the goods
has not claimed for total loss before the arrival of them, is he still entitled to refuse
to receive them but to treat the goods as lost and to claim for the compensation? Is
sixty days the explanatory phase of the reasonable period that enables the
consignee to refuse the goods and the practical standard for determining the
condition that the purpose of the contract is not able to be realized as aforesaid in
the shipping contract? In Zhejiang Jiengshi Garment Group Corp. v. Fancheng
International Freight Forwarder, which had been introduced in part 6.1 Chapter
530, the judges thought the sixty days in Article 50 of CMC would apply to the
holders claims although there is no specific date for delivery in this case. Since
sixty days had elapsed from the date of the arrival of goods at the destination, the
plaintiff was entitled to refuse the goods but for the compensation only.
Regulations in CMR is offering food for thought. Deviating from the view of the
refusal of goods, CMR stipulates that the consignee is still entitled to receive the
goods even he has gotten the compensation for deeming the goods totally lost, if he
has given carrier a written notice of his willing for the goods promptly.31
Anyhow, the conditions for rescission of the contract of carriage and the refusal
of goods by the merchant party when the goods are delayed needs elaboration and
29
30
31

The two contractual purposes are: transporting the goods from one place to the destination, delivering the
goods to right person.
See fn. 217 in Chapter 5.
See art. 20 of CMR.

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clarity.
1.3 Obligor of taking delivery
When taking delivery is regarded as an obligation, this duty is borne by the
consignee under many regimes.32
Before the goods are taken over, the consignee just refers to the person who is
entitled to receive the goods, and the actual acceptance of the goods is not
necessary. A consignee can be the legal holder of original bill of lading, or the
named consignee in a sea waybill or a straight bill of lading. As it has been
discussed above, the reasons for the failure of taking delivery may include the
consignees rejection, delay of the consignee, or, not unusually, the case there is no
consignee showing up. Therefore, in the latter two situations, no one will appear to
claim for rights concerning with the goods at the destination.
In theory of contract, the right and the obligation of receiving the performance
are vested in the same person, i.e. the creditor.33 However, as I have discussed in
the former chapters, when the shipper and the consignee are different persons, the
contract of carriage is a contract for benefits of the third party, and the consignee is
the beneficiary third party, or the creditor beneficiary.34 Though I agree with the
view that the third party may have to bear certain related obligations in order to
obtain the benefit according to the principle of the third partys benefit contract,35
the obligations related to the benefit, in my opinion, will effect only when the third
party tries to obtain his benefit or exercise any of his rights under the contract.
According to the general theory of the third partys benefit, the named third party is
not compelled to accept his right and he may abandon his right.36 Moreover, before
the third party exercising or expressing the acceptance of his right under the
contract, the promisee under the contract is entitled to change or rescind the
contract.37 Therefore, under the contract of carriage, when the named consignee or
32

See for example, Tetleys Cargo Claims, pp.311-313, Yin &Guo'

s Carriage Law, p. 148, Li Wei-juns
Hindering of Delivery, p.25-16 at PP.16-46. Scandinavian Maritime Code also imposes the obligation on the
consignee: At the place of destination the consignee shall receive the goods at the place and within the
time indicated by the carrier. Section 18 of The carriers delivery of the goods in Finish Maritime
Code.
Wang Jia-fus Oblgatory Rights, pp.163.
According to Corbin, the third party is divided into the donee beneficiary and the creditor beneficiary. The
former means that the benefit is the donation by the offeree, but the latter means that the third party gets the
right because the offeree owes him certain obligation. Corbin On Contract, p.181
Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, p. 22 at pp.6-46.
Shi Shang-kuang, General on Obligatory Law, Taiwan Rongtai Publishing Ltd. Co., 1978, p.595, quoted in
Zhaos Mariitme Law, p.287; see also Corbin on Contracts, pp.236-237.
See Sakae Wagatuma, On General Rules of Obligatory Relationship of China Civil Law, translated by Hong
Xi-heng, 1st ed., Publishing House of China University of Politics and Law, 2003, pp.203-204. But there
also exists the minority view that the contract will effect on the third party when it is concluded regardless
the third party express his acceptance or not, see ibid.

33
34

35
36
37

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

the holder of bill of lading38 does not show up to exercise his right under the
contract, he is not obligated to receive the goods.39
However, some Chinese scholars and judges think differently: even if the
consignee never claims his right, the carrier shall be allowed to claim for the
compensation against the consignee for the damages caused by his failure of taking
delivery.40 The UNCITRAL Draft Instrument of Transport Law also reflects this
divergence of opinion.41 There are variants, one being the consignee shall accept
delivery of goods at the time and location as is mentioned above, the other being
the consignee that exercises any of its right under the contract of carriage shall
accept the delivery of goods (emphasis added).42 Indeed, putting the obligation on
the consignee helps to avoid the carriers additional responsibility to the goods, but,
seen from the above analysis, the second approach in the draft instrument adapts to
the theory and practice better.
If the consignee never shows up, it means he chooses to waive his right under
the contract, and he is not borne by any obligation under the contract. But, when
the consignee exercises any right under the contract, such as making inspection of
the sample of the goods, or giving directions about the goods, his action indicates
that he has deemed himself the creditor of the carrier though he may later refuse the
goods. And he shall be bound by the contract of carriage or the transport document,
and is obligated to accept the goods unless legal exemptions arise.
If the consignee delays improperly but later claims or receives the goods even
after they have been warehoused, the consignee shall still bear the liabilities to the
carrier, such as paying for the freight and charges of storage, and compensating the
carrier for the damages caused by this delay.
In summary, when the consignee does not show up to exercise any of his right
under the contract, he is not obligated to receive the goods. However, as it has been
discussed clearly, the goods shall not be kept in the hands of the carrier, otherwise
it will bring additional responsibilities to him. And taking delivery is an obligation.
In my view, it is generally the shippers obligation to make the goods deliverable.
First of all, it is the shipper who concludes the contract with the carrier, and who
instructs the goods to be delivered to the third party. So, the shipper shall be
responsible for making the goods deliverable under the contract. In addition,
according to the theory of third partys benefit contract, when the named third party
refuses to obtain the right under the contract, the shipper is still the contractual
party who is entitled to the rights and is bound to the obligations under the contract.
38
39
40
41
42

According to the theory of the instrument of value, the holder of the instrument is either not obliged to
receive the performance under it before he exercises the rights under the instrument.
See also Zhaos Maritime Law, p.287.
Li Wei-juns Hidering of Delivery, p.28 at pp.16-46.
See Sect.10.1 in WP.21, Art.46 in WP.32.
Ibid.

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Moreover, when no negotiable bill of lading is issued or transferred, the shipper is

the controlling party who is entitled to redirect the consignee before the goods is
delivered.43 Therefore, when the named consignee does not accept the right to the
goods, the shipper shall make the goods deliverable -- he may instruct a new
consignee, or make the goods surrendered to an appropriate place, otherwise, he is
obligated to receive them. When no other person takes over the goods, the shipper
shall be liable for the damages suffered by the carrier for this delay or failure of
taking delivery.
Nevertheless, the right of controlling might be vested in or transferred to another
party by express agreement in the contract, or by statutory conditions, or by the
transfer of bill of lading and others. In this case, the shipper might have no interest
of the goods and is not entitled to make instruction on the goods. So, the
controlling party shall give instructions on the delivery when the consignee fails to
take delivery. When the controlling party is the consignee or the legal holder of bill
of lading, he may be unwilling to exercise his right under the contract of carriage,
or he maybe not identified; in this case, it becomes difficult to find them out or to
compel them to make instructions on delivery. Therefore, when the carrier fails to
get instructions from the controlling party, he may turn back to the shipper again.
The German TRAT provides that when the delivery of goods encounters
obstacles, the carrier shall ask for the instructions from the person who has the
right of disposal in relation to the goods.44 So, giving instruction in such a case is
both the right and the duty of the controlling party. According to this act, first is the
sender (shipper) to be the controlling party and then is the consignee on the arrival
of the goods at the destination.45 But this act does not obligate the consignee to
give instructions. If that is the consignee (has the right of disposal) and if he
cannot be located, or if he refuses to accept the goods, the sender shall have the
right of disposal, and the carrier may assert claims against him for the outlays by
carrying out the instructions.46
The UNCITRAL Draft Instrument establishes the similar mechanism. In Part
5.2.4 of Chapter 5of this thesis, I have introduced the innovation by this draft
instrument. The innovation is not only made for the situation when bill of lading is
not surrendered for delivery, but also for the case that the carrier fails to deliver the
goods. Facing the obstacle of delivery, the carrier shall try to obtain instructions
from the controlling party or, the shipper if the controlling party cannot be
identified or be found after reasonable effort. When the carrier fails to find either of
the two, the person indicated as the shipper indicated in the document shall be
43
44
45
46

For discussions on controlling party see supra Chapter4 and 5.

Section 419 (1) TRAT.
Section 418 TRAT.
Section 419(1), Section 418(1) TRAT.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

treated as the shipper.47 Meanwhile, the instrument stipulates expressly that the
controlling party or shipper is obligated to give the carrier instructions in respect of
the delivery of the goods.48 When the carrier delivers the goods in accordance with
the instruction of the former party, he is discharged from his obligation to deliver
the goods under the contract of carriage. So seeking for the instruction from the
controlling party or the shipper is the preliminary remedies for the carrier in
addition to other remedies set forth in this draft.49 Some Chinese scholars put
forward that when the consignee is unable to be identified, the shipper might also
be liable for the damages suffered by the carrier if the shipper fails to confirm the
consignee in reasonable time after the carrier has sent him the notice.50 According
to this assumption, the liability of the shipper shall be limited to the scope of the
uncompensated part remained by the carrier when he has dealt with the carried
goods, and to the condition that the carrier has performed the obligation of notice
of arrival.51 These views indicated that the shipper might be difficult to escape
from the liabilities of failure to take delivery.
Because most laws, including China Law, do not put the obligation on the
shipper or the controlling party to make the goods deliverable, so when the goods
are hindered at the hands of the carrier, few carriers will fall back on the shipper for
instruction. In addition, the provisions under CMC do not provide sufficient
remedies for the carrier. Failure to take delivery is regarded as one of the biggest
difficulties for a number of shipping companies, especially container liner
companies, and has brought great pressure on them.
In short, accepting the delivery is both the right and the obligation of the
merchant party. As a breach of this obligation, failure to take delivery shall at least
bring the following consequences:52 1) Changing or even precluding the carrier
from the obligation of performance; 2) conferring remedies for the carrier, such as
depositing of goods and other remedies; 3) reducing the carriers responsibility on
the care of the goods. According to traditional theory of contract law in China, after
the delay of receiving performance, the obligor of delivery shall just be liable for
the damages caused by intentional action or gross negligence, and will not be liable
for damages caused by culpa levis. 4) Obligor is entitled to claim for the necessary
charges of maintaining the object and for the compensation of the damages caused
by the delay of receiving delivery.

47
48
49
50
51
52

Sect. 10.3.2 (b) in WP.21, Art. 49 (b) in WP.32.

Ibid.
Sect. 10.3. in WP.21, Art. 51 in WP.32.
Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, p.29 at pp. 6-46.
Ibid.
See also Wang Jia-fus Obligatory Rights, pp.174-175.

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2. Notice of arrival of goods

Notice of arrival of goods is a problem related closely with the carriers relief from
the usual obligation on delivery when the consignee fails to take delivery. Whether
the carrier must give the notice of arrival or not has been an issue of disputes for
years.
In most bills of lading, there is a box of notify party. But meanwhile, almost
all of these bills indicate, it is agreed that no responsibility shall attach the Carrier
or his Agents for failure to notify, or any mention herein of parties to be notifies
of the arrival of the Goods is solely for information of the carrier, or failure to
give such notification (of arrival) shall not involve the Carrier in any liability nor
relieve the Merchant of any obligation hereunder. 53 In common law, in the
absence of special contract or custom, the shipowner is not bound to give notice for
his readiness to unload no matter under the charter party or bill of lading,54
consequently, extending to the arrival of the goods, it is not the obligation on the
carrier to give notification of arrival.
However, in other systems, notice of arrival is an obligation on the carrier. The
CLC puts forward this rule that the carrier shall give the notice promptly upon the
completion of the carriage if he has the knowledge of the consignee.55 It is so
supported by scholars that notice of delivery is the necessary condition for the
remedies for the carrier, and if the notice of arrival has not been surrendered, the
consignee shall not be responsible for the damages resulted from the delay of
taking delivery.56
Without the stipulation otherwise in the CMC, the CLC will apply to the carriage
of goods by sea, and the notice of arrival is required when the consignee is
identified.
At present, national laws will determine whether the notice of arrival or delivery
is necessary. In theory, when the obligation of taking delivery is established, the
notice of arrival or delivery is required. However, in my opinion, such kind of
notice is more a matter of practice than a matter of law. In practice, for the purpose
of the commercial motivations and to reduce the delays in the collection of goods,
most carriers are giving such notices to urge the consignee to take the delivery even
when notification is not a statutory obligation. However, if the consignees, as is
discussed before, hide themselves or is unwilling to exercise their rights, it is not
so feasible for the carrier to notify them personally. And, when no consignee shows
53
54
55
56

E.g., P&O NedLloyd bill of lading, box of Notify Party and Clause 20 on reverse.
Scrutton, Art.150, p.290. See also Gaskell, 14.1, p.412.
Article 309 CLC.
Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, pp.22-23 at pp.4-46.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

up, if the law puts the responsibility on the shipper or the controlling party to give
instruction of delivery, the carrier will contact with them and the notice of arrival
might be incorporated together with his seeking of instruction from them. On the
other hand, if the consignee is keen on the goods, he will be alert for the schedule
of the carriage. Therefore, the notice of arrival may be given to the consignee, or
the shipper or the controlling party appropriately, but the manners of the notice may
vary as the case may be. When the consignee, the shipper or the controlling party is
available or their agents or bodies are available, a clear notice shall be surrendered
to them. When the consignee is unidentified, the carrier shall publish the schedule
of arrival and immediately satisfy any query with the information available, or
meet with any other demands as individual cases may require.

3. Traditional remedy for the carrier: warehousing the goods

Remedies for the carrier refers to means for the protection of the carrier and to
discharge him from the agreed or reasonable obligations on the delivery (including
the implied obligation of personal delivery) when the consignee fails to take over
the goods actually. Warehousing the goods is a traditional remedy.
Article 86 of the CMC provides, If the goods were not taken delivery at the port
of discharge or if the consignee has delayed or refused the taking delivery of the
goods, the master may discharge the goods into warehouse or other appropriate
places, and any expenses or risks arising there from shall be borne by the
consignee.
3.1 Effects of warehousing
3.1.1 Constructive delivery under contract of carriage
If the responsibility of the carrier to the goods is extended when the goods
cannot be taken over by the merchant party, it will be unfair for the carrier. Though
the term in Article 86 of the CMC is not so clear, from the words that the risks and
expenses to the goods shall be borne by the consignee after the discharging and
warehousing of them. It can be concluded that the warehousing of the goods by the
master shall constitute a constructive delivery57 and the carrier is then discharged
from the traditional obligation of delivery to the consignee personally. Meanwhile,
the contract of carriage is terminated upon this warehousing. In addition, when a
bill of lading has been issued, the presentation rule will not bind the carrier in such
57

See Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, p. 25, see also Zous Carriers Remedies, p.5.

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case. However, the simple phraseology of the Article 86 of CMC does not match
the shipping carriage very well. From the words of the provision, it is easily
perceived that the risk and expenses will be transferred to the consignee as soon as
the goods have been discharged into a warehouse or other appropriate place. But in
the modern practice, except under charterparties, almost no goods are taken over
alongside the ship. Therefore, after the arrival at the destination, the goods will
generally be discharged into the container yard, CFS or warehouses. And, under the
tariff of the carrier and the rules of the container yards or CFS, there is usually a
specified free period for the keeping of the goods during which the consignee does
not have to pay the storage charges. In Chinese ports, the free period is usually 3 to
5 days after the arrival or after the notice of the arrival. Considerable bills of lading
provide that the consignee shall take the delivery during the specified period under
the tariff, which generally lasts as long as the free period of storage. In addition,
with the development of the agreement on delivery, certain contracts will provide
the time for delivery. So, the stated specified period of time for delivery is both the
duty and the right for the consignee. After the expiration of the period, failure to
take the delivery may be deemed delay, but before the lapse of it, the consignee or
other persons are not forced to receiver the goods.
According to the contract theory, if there is no such agreement on the period, a
reasonable time is required, and the carrier or vessel cannot discharge his liability
by landing them immediately on the ships arrival. 58 In my view, the
abovementioned 3 to 5 days of free period in practice may be of reference to the
reasonable period.
So, before the agreed or reasonable period for delivery has lapsed, the obligation
to receive the goods is not due, the carrier is still under the responsibility to the
delivery, and risks to the goods are borne by the carrier at the meantime. Under the
CMC, at least the risks to the containerized goods are still borne by the carrier
before the aforesaid period is due. Whilst, as the bulk and general cargos are
concerned, the risks to the goods will transfer to the consignee once the goods are
discharged from the vessels,59 but the cease of risk on the carrier results from the
stipulation of responsibility period not from the remedy for the carrier.
Therefore, before the lapse of the agreed or reasonable period, the carrier is not
entitled to the remedy under the Article 86 of CMC. In addition, since the remedy
can be available only after the discharge and certain period, consequently, it will
not be the master to carry out the remedy of warehousing or storage. So it is more
reasonable to put the carrier instead of the master in Article 86.
58
59

Scrutton, art.151, p.291.

Art. 46 of the CMC, under the containerized carriage, the responsibility period of the carrier will continue
until the delivery of the goods, while under the non-containerized one, the responsibility of carrier will
cease by discharging the goods from the vessel; for details see supra Chapter 2.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

3.1.2 Duty to the safety of the goods

Though this constructive delivery is an alternative of the actual delivery, the
carrier is still under the responsibility not to infringe any property right or title to
the goods of others. The latter is an absolute obligation not only under a contract.
However, as is pointed out in Part 1.3, by the breach of the obligation to receive the
delivery, the duty of the care of the goods on the carrier will be reduced. Briefly,
the carrier shall exercise the remedy properly.
First of all, properly means that the carrier shall do due diligence to store the
goods. He shall find a warehouse or other place suitable for receiving and storing
the goods. The place for storage shall be appropriate to the characteristics of the
goods, for instance, the temperature and ventilation shall be fine for certain goods.
Moreover, it shall be safe under the applicable law and policy, such as the customs
regulations of the port. In addition, when choosing the storage place, the carrier
shall take a reasonable consideration for the convenience of the consignee, and,
without legal authorization, the carrier shall not store the goods in places other than
the agreed range.
If the place chosen by the carrier is not appropriate, the carrier shall, if possible,
re-store the goods in an appropriate place and may recover the additional costs
occurred to the person who takes the goods owing to inconvenience or unsuitability
of the warehouse or place.
When the carrier has done due diligence, he shall not be liable for the damages
caused from such unsuitability of the warehouses or other storage places, and, if the
storage place became inappropriate simply after the goods have been moved into,
the carrier shall no longer be liable for the damages to the goods arising therefrom.
The duty of taking care of them devolves upon warehouseman,60 and the risks
and expenses shall be borne by the consignee.61
The carrier shall be liable for the damages only if the damages have resulted
from his intentional act or gross negligence.
3.1.3 Concluding storage and related contracts
Article 86 of CMC just provides that the expenses and risks arising after the
warehousing shall be borne by the consignee, but it does not make clear who shall
be the party in the storage contract with the port or the warehouseman (sometimes
including the handling, transiting or other contract with stevedores). Should the
60
61

Carvers Carriage by Sea, para. 1575.

Article 86 of CMC.

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party be the carrier, or the person who will take over the goods? There are two
voices on this issue in China.
One of the popular views in practice of China is in favor that the contract shall
be concluded between the warehouseman and the consignee or other person who
will take over the goods. The payment for storage and other charges or expenses to
the goods during storage shall be paid directly by person who takes over the goods.
In the absence of such consignee, the warehouseman or others might be reimbursed
through selling or disposing of the goods. And, the carrier is regarded as the agent
of the receiver to warehouse the goods. The main reason for this view is that Article
86 has put the expenses on the consignee directly, and the agent status may
alleviate the burden on the carrier and protect him well. The other opinion supports
that the carrier is the contractual party in the warehousing and other handling
contract, and he shall pay the warehousing charges and other expenses.62
I prefer the latter view. Firstly, the person who will take the delivery does not
appoint the carrier to make the contract of warehousing on his behalf, and, even
often, there will be no consignee showing up. So, it is difficult to say the carrier is
the agent of the person who will receive the goods. Even under common law, the
warehousing of the goods by the carrier in such cases is difficult to constitute
agent of necessity.63 Secondly, though the future actual handing over of the
goods will be carried out by the warehouse or the container yard, the carrier in
practice is bound to give instruction on the person to whom shall the goods be
delivered by the warehouseman. This instruction complies with the feature of the
storage contract. Thirdly, it is also common for the carrier to retain the goods for
lien after warehousing and to apply for selling or disposing them in his own name.
Fourthly, as mentioned above, the goods are usually discharged into the storage
place where they wait for the consignee to take over. Within the free period or
reasonable time for taking delivery, the carrier is the contractual party with the
storage party, and if the goods continue to be kept in such places, usually the
former contract continues. Finally, if the carrier is just the agent of the consignee
and shall not be liable under the storage or related contract, it will be unfair for the
storage parties, and the latters interests might not be well protected especially
when no consignee eventually shows up.
Therefore, the carrier is the direct contractual party under such storage contracts.
In my opinion, this kind of contract is also the contract for the third partys benefits.
Under such contract, it may be agreed that the third party is obligated to pay the
62
63

Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, p.26.

Agent of necessity means authority on some person to act as the agent of principal for preservation and
improvement purpose even without the entrustment by the principal in emergent situation, e.g. the master
may be the agent of necessity of the owner of goods to conclude the contract of salvage during the
navigation. For details see Yangs Bill of Lading, pp.373-375.

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charges and expenses to the goods when he claims for the delivery of the goods
from the warehouse. However, if there is no person claiming for the goods, or the
third party fails to pay these charges, the carrier is still liable for the payment.
Therefore, after the storage of the goods to appropriate places, the carrier is not
relieved from all the responsibilities to the goods for the benefit of the consignee or
other person who is entitled to the goods. This relationship is closer to the
negotiorum gestio between the carrier and the merchant party.
3.1.4 Reimbursement for the carrier
The carrier is entitled to the reimbursement for any necessary and reasonable costs
and damages such as the storage fares, the charges of the extra usage of the
containersand even sometimes the costs for handling the goods, caused by the
failure of the merchant party to take the delivery. The person who takes over the
goods is liable for such charges, and when there is no one taking over the goods,
the controlling party, or the shipper shall be liable for it.
3.2 Insufficient protection by warehousing
Though the storage of the goods may discharge the carrier from the heavy burden
of taking care of the goods and entitle him to the reimbursement of damages, a
single remedy is not enough to protect the carrier in all events in light of the
practice and related legal systems. There exist many problems: for example, the
expenses of warehousing is still borne by the carrier when no consignee shows up
to receive the goods or the consignee delays too long; the carrier will suffer from
the reduction of containers in circulation and even pay for the rents of the
containers if they are hired; the carrier may lose freight; it is difficult for the carrier
to find an appropriate place to store the goods. Just because of the insufficiency of
the remedy under existing statute, most container shipping companies deem the
consignees failure to take delivery their biggest headache. Therefore, it is
necessary to establish a comprehensive system of remedies for the carrier.

4. Supplements of remedies
The German TRAT,64 Scandinavian Maritime Code65 and the UNCITRAL Draft
Instrument 66 all provide categories of the remedies for the carrier when he
64
65
66

Section 419 TRAT.

E. g Section 21,22 of the Finnish Maritime Code.
See Sect. 10.3.2 (b) and 10.4.1 in WP.21, Art. 49(b), 50 inWP.32.

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encounters the obstacles of delivery. Making reference to these legislations and

considering Chinas present legal and practical systems, the following measures are
suggested to be the supplementary remedies in addition to the remedy of storage.
4.1 Acquiring instructions
As is discussed in Part 1.2, giving instructions on delivery when the consignee fails
to take the goods promptly is both the right and obligation of the controlling party
or the shipper. Meanwhile, carriers obligation of giving the notice of arrival to the
counterpart also makes this duty of instruction reasonable. The carrier shall follow
the reasonable instructions made by the controlling party or the shipper.
This remedy may discharge the carrier from consequent troubles arising from
warehousing, such as the burden of looking for appropriate storage places, the costs
of storage fares and so on. So, asking for the instructions from the shipper or the
controlling party will be a relatively sufficient remedy for the carrier and is, in most
cases, geared to the interests of the cargo during the transit of them. Therefore,
seeking for the instruction for delivery shall be the primary remedy for the carrier.
However, when the shipper or the controlling party delays to give instructions or
their instruction is impossible to be carried out or will bring great inconvenience to
the carrier, the carrier may avoid the instruction and recourse for the other
remedies.
4.2 Retaining the goods as a lien
Put a lien on the goods for the due freight or other charges to the goods is the
carriers right generally recognized by shipping legislations. Article 87 of the CMC
provides that if the freight, contribution in general average, demurrage and other
charges to be paid to the carrier have not been paid in full, nor has appropriate
security been given, the carrier may have a lien, to a reasonable extent, on the
goods.
When the consignee claims for collecting the goods even after delay, or the
shipper gives the instruction for delivery, the carrier is still entitled to exercise the
right of lien on the goods and may refuse to release them. In addition, when the
carrier has exercised the remedy under Article 86 of CMC, the carrier is still
entitled to the lien of goods. Though the warehousing of the cargo under Article 86
is regarded as a constructive delivery, it just discharges the carrier from the
obligation of actual delivery and transfers the risks to the person who takes over the
goods, and it will not prejudice the rights for the carrier under the contract of
carriage. Thus, the carrier may give notice to any wharf, warehouseman or

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

container yard with the goods in whose custody, that the goods are to remain
subject to a lien for freight or other charges. The other charges under Article 87
of CMC, in my opinion, will include the storage charges and any other necessary
outlays to the goods caused by the delay of taking delivery. Moreover, the carrier is
entitled to the consequent rights of disposal of goods provided by law when
exercising the statutory lien.
4.3 Selling the goods by auction
Certain legislations give the carrier right for selling the goods under the statutory
conditions, for instance, if the goods are perishable, or their conditions make the
storage impossible, or if the costs which would otherwise be incurred are out of the
proportion to the value of the goods.67 According to Article 88 of CMC, if the
goods under the lien have not been taken delivery within 60 days from the next day
of the ships arrival, or within less than 60 days in some special circumstance such
as the goods are perishable or not suitable for storage, the carrier may apply to the
court for an order of selling the goods by auction to satisfy his claims for the
charges and expenses. But this provision does not generally apply to the storage of
goods when they are not taken over.
When the consignee rejects the goods, or there is no consignee claiming for
delivery, usually, there is no application for the customs clearance of these goods.
In this situation, the court in China is not authorized to decide whether an
application for auction should be approved or not. It is the Customs that takes
charge of this application.
Article 30 of The Customs Law of PRC provides, If the consignee of the
imported cargo has not filed to the customs within 3 months from the day when the
carrying instrument applies for entry in China, the cargo shall be taken over by the
customs and be sold or disposed of in accordance with laws and regulations. With
deduction of the charges to the carriage, stevedores and storage etc., the payment of
the cargo got by selling shall be returned to the consignee upon his same
application, which is made within one year from the day when the cargo was sold
legally

On 20 December 2001, the General Customs Bureau of PRC issued the

document of Measures in Relation with the Imported Cargo without being Applied
in the Required Period, the Entering Cargos because of Mis-discharging or
Over-discharging and the Abandoned Imported Cargoes to help the
implementation of Article 30 under The Customs Law.
However, these regulations do not establish clear systems of procedures for
67

For example, Section 419, paragraph (3) of German TRAT

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handling the related goods by the Customs, which makes it difficult for the carrier
to apply for the selling of the goods. In addition, more importantly, the Customs are
not very enthusiastic to dispose the goods in accordance with the Customs Law.
Especially when the goods are of low or even negative values, few of the Customs
will take measures to handle them, just leaving them stored at the warehouses or
container yards. Moreover, even the involved goods have been sold by the
Customs, provisions under the Customs Law and the aforesaid Measures
Regulations may conflict with the civil law and rights on the goods. According to
the former two regulations, only the Chinese Consignee is entitled to the balance of
the payment by the selling. But in the case that the consignee in China fails to
receive them or he rejects them, the bill of lading might flow back to the shipper
who is out of China. In such case, the final legal holder of the bill of lading who is
entitled to the goods under civil law is not allowed to get the money of the disposal
of the goods under the these administration laws. Therefore, the harmonization of
the shipping law and the Customs Law or other administration law is very
necessary.
Suggestions for improving the Customs Law are put forward.68 But, with the
coordination of the Maritime Code, the Maritime Procedure Law and the Customs
Regulations, I think that authorizing the court the power to deal with the disputes
and the application for the order to sell the goods by auction will be a more
sufficient and effective approach when the carrier encounters the obstacles of
delivery. More importantly, resolving these applications under the civil procedure
may help to make clear the relationship among the carrier, the warehouse and the
consignee or the shipper and others, and may resolve the disputes more fairly. As
the time for applying the order of selling is concerned, it will be reasonable to be in
line with the Customs Law to set 3 months from the arrival of the vessel or from the
application of the vessel for entry in China.
In order to avoid possible abuse of the remedy and infringement of the title to the
goods by the third party, the selling, in my point of view, must be taken under
judicial procedure, and private sale shall be forbidden.69
4.4 Applying for an injunction
The remedies for the storage or lien or selling of goods may not always be
appropriate for the carrier. For examples, at a very busy port, because of the
congestion of the container yards, the goods may not be stored for a long period, or
if the containers are provided by the carrier and he is in urgent need for the usage
68
69

See Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, pp.42-43.

See also Zous Carriers Remedies, p.6.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

of them, he is also not patient to wait for 60 days as is stipulated in Article 88 of

CMC or 3 months in the Customs Law to unpack the goods and sell them. Or,
sometimes, even the value of the goods cannot cover the due freight and other
charges borne by the merchant party. In all these circumstances, carriers all like
some measures to push the consignee to take over the goods as soon as possible
and to relieve the carrier from the risks of the freight and others.
With the coming into force of the Maritime Procedure Law of PRC (hereafter
referred to as MPL), another remedy may be invoked by the carrier. He may
apply for an injunction by the maritime court to compel the consignee or other
person who is obligated to take the delivery to collect the goods and to pay the
freight and other charges due.
A maritime injunction is the innovation by the MPL in China; it means the
compulsory measures taken by a maritime court on the application of a maritime
claimant to compel the person against whom a claim is made to act or refrain from
action to prevent the legitimate rights and interests of the claimant from being
infringed.70 From the effectiveness of the MPL on 1 July, 2000, more and more
parties have resorted to this remedy to protect their rights and reduce further
disputes in future. Some carriers have therefore been able to make the goods taken
over promptly and get the freight and other charged to the goods.
However, applying for an injunction to compel the consignee or other party to
take over the goods and to pay the charges shall meet the following conditions: 1) a
breach of the legal provisions or contractual provisions by the person against whom
a claim and an injunction is made needs to be redressed, and 2) as a matter of
urgency, loss will occur or be increased if an injunction is not granted forthwith.71
Therefore, whether an injunction is approved or not shall be determined on the
facts of the matter.
In addition, an injunction shall be made against the right person. In practice,
generally, the counterpart under the injunction is the consignee. However, as I have
analyzed in Part 1. 2, if the consignee has exercised any right to the goods under
the contract, the injunction may be issued against him, but when there is no
consignee showing up, the shipper or the controlling party who is found shall be
the obligor.
However, there are limits to this remedy. When the shipper or the controlling
party locates out of China, even if an injunction has been issued against them, it is
difficult to effect actually. If the person against whom a claim is made refuses to
comply with the injunction, the maritime court may impose fine or order a
detention according to the seriousness of the case.72 Some of the carriers apply for
70
71
72

Art. 51 MPL.
Art. 56 of MPL, there are two other conditions in addition.
Art. 59 MPL.

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both the compelling to take over the goods and, if the counterpart fails to carry it
out, the selling of goods by auction. Nevertheless, the court is not allowed to issue
the order of sale of goods by auction if the goods have not been applied to the
customs as discussed above. So, this will be another limit to the injunction.
4.5 Opening or unpacking the goods
Under existing law, the biggest pressure on considerable carriers is that the
containers are occupied for a very long period when the goods are stored. This will
bring the shortage of containers to the carrier, and if the carrier hires the containers,
they will have to pay high rents and even the demurrage when they delay to return
them to the owner. Under these circumstances, it is urgently desired to vest in the
carrier with the rights to open or unpack the goods packed in containers or other
similar instrument, or to act appropriately in respect of the goods in consideration
with the condition of the goods.
The UNCITRAL Draft Instrument provides such remedy.73 After the opening or
unpacking of the goods, the carrier may continue to store the goods into
appropriate place.
4.6 Depositing of Goods
Depositing means the system that the obligor surrenders the object to the agency of
depositing when he fails to deliver it for the reason of the obligee, and the
obligation shall be terminated thereby.74 The CLC provides this system to the
obligor when the obligees whereabouts is unknown or when the obligee refuses to
take the delivery of the object illegally and so on.75 Furthermore, the Article 316 of
the CLC in the chapter of the contract of carriage specifies that where the
consignee is unidentified or the consignee refuses to take the delivery of the goods
without justifiable reasons, the carrier may deposit the goods. Thus, the CLC
provides an additional remedy for the carrier to deposit the goods.
Depositing goods is similar, but not identical, to the storage of goods. The main
differences between them lie in: depositing the goods to certain place is deemed the
thorough fulfillment of the delivery, and the carrier shall be relieved from all the
risks and expenses to the goods thereafter. In addition, the goods may be delivered
by the depository agency and the carrier is not bound to give the instruction of the
delivery. Whilst, under the storage remedy under the CMC, the carrier is still
responsible to the warehouseman or others under the storage contract, and there is
73
74
75

See 10.4.1.b (ii) in WP.21, Art. 50 (2) (b) inWP.32.

Wang Jia-fus Obligatory Law, p. 207.
Art. 101 CLC.

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Carriers remedies when consignee fails to take delivery

the relationship of negotorium gestio between the carrier and the receiver after the
storage.
Therefore, on this basis, depositing the goods is the most sufficient remedy for
the carrier. However, there are other sides to this remedy. First of all, after the
depositing, generally, the carrier shall not put a lien on the goods any more, nor is
he entitled to withdraw the goods. So, when the freight or other charges have not
been fully paid, the carrier would not like to use this measure.
In addition, CLC just provides the principles of this system but not the detailed
implementation stipulations.76 With this absence, the procedure and the conditions
for the depositing are not clear. Moreover there is no special agency to deal with
the application and approval of the depositing, meanwhile, there is no statutorily
designated place for the depositing in Chinas port. And it is difficult to find such
appropriate places to store the goods. Therefore, due to the insufficiency of
completion system of depositing, it is still impractical in China for the time being.
Someone suggests that the maritime courts will be the most suitable body to act
as the agency of depositing for the reasons that they have authority and special
professional experience in resolving the disputes related to the carriage, n addition,
the maritime courts may coordinate with other bodies, such as the Customs, more
easily, compared with other bureaus.77 I agree with the opinion that the court will
be a more appropriate institution to deal with the procedure of depositing.
As far as the procedure is concerned, the Notary Rules of Depositing is of great
reference: firstly, the application by the carrier; secondly, the approval by the court
of such application for depositing; thirdly, the court designates the place of storage
and the carrier surrenders the goods; fourthly, the goods are inspected when they
are received by the depositing body, the record of conditions of them is issued, and
the date of depositing is decided by the court or other body authorized by the court;
fifthly, the carrier notifies the consignee or the shipper or other related party about
the depositing of the goods; finally, if necessary, the depositing body or court may
sell the goods through the court by auction.78

5. Conclusions
To take delivery as agreed or without agreement on delivery, taking delivery
promptly and properly is both the right and the obligation on the merchant party
76

77
78

Notary Rules of Depositing issued by the Ministry of Justice of PRC authorizes certain notary office as the
agency to deal with the application and the depositing of the object. But the rules do not apply to the
practice of the carried goods very well.
See Li Wei-juns Hindering of Delivery, pp.41-42.
Ibid.

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under the contract of carriage. In certain regimes, this obligation is borne by the
consignee. In my opinion, on the basis of the contract of third partys benefit, and
the theory of instrument of value if a bill of lading has been issued, the consignee is
obligated to receive the goods only when he has exercised any right under the
contract of carriage or transport document. When there is no consignee showing up
in time, the controlling party is responsible to make the goods deliverable, when
the controlling party is unidentified or fails to take this responsibility, the shipper
will be the final obligator.
National laws and contract theories provide the carrier with remedies when the
goods are not taken over. These remedies shall discharge the carrier from the
obligation of the actual delivering of the goods or from the manner as agreed.
Meanwhile, with the remedies, the responsibilities of the carrier to the safety of the
goods shall be reduced and the carrier shall only be acting due diligence to dispose
of the goods under the statutory authority. After exercising the remedy, for instance,
warehousing the goods, the risks and expenses shall be transferred to the party who
will take the goods or who will be responsible for taking the goods. In addition, the
carrier is entitled to the reimbursement caused by such delay or failure of taking
delivery.
However, the carrier shall enjoy the remedies and the protections by the law only
when his case meets with these conditions: 1) an appropriate notice of arrival or
delivery has been issued; 2) the agreed or reasonable period for taking delivery has
been lapsed; 3) the goods are ready for delivery, which means the manner of
delivery is proper and taking delivery is possible. Otherwise, the consignee or the
shipper is not obligated to receive them, and the carrier may not enjoy the
remedies.
Warehousing the goods is a traditional remedy for the carrier, but it has some
insufficiencies during tin practice. With the improvement of the existing legal
system, a relatively comprehensive remedy system is recommended. The carrier
shall be entitled to exercise one or some of the remedies as follows at the risks and
expenses of the consignee or the person entitled to the goods if the situation
requires: 1) acquiring the instruction on delivery or disposal of goods from the
controlling party or the shipper; if fails to do so, 2) storage of the goods at
appropriate place; 3) putting a lien on the goods; 4) applying for injunction
compelling the taking delivery of the goods; 5) selling goods by auction under the
court; 6) opening and unpacking the goods or any reasonable acts in respect of the
goods; 7) depositing goods to appropriate places.

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