Hague-Visby Cargo Recovery Card for Malaysian and Singaporean Cargo Owners

USD 32,880 carrier cap. USD 180,000 of consumer electronics on the water. The 81.7 percent gap to invoice value is your cargo policy's job, not the carrier's. Walk this card before the carrier offer becomes the answer by default.

Hague-Visby caps carrier liability at the higher of 666.67 SDR per package or 2 SDR per kilogram, with a 1-year time bar from delivery. This six-page field guide gives cargo owners and claim handlers in Malaysia and Singapore a structured framework to walk the cap, the fault test, and the recovery gap on a live claim.

What you get inside

A seven-row recovery framework, an SDR-to-USD reference, a worked example, a three-step claim worksheet, and a decision card.

• A seven-row recovery framework covering liability regime, cap by package (SDR 666.67), cap by weight (2 SDR per kilogram), which cap applies, the Article IV(2)(q) fault test, the Article III(6) 1-year time bar, and the sue and labour duty.
• An SDR-to-USD reference at SDR/USD 1.37 (April 2026 IMF), with a clear note that the IMF updates the rate daily.
• A worked example for a USD 180,000 invoice, 12,000 kg, single 20-foot container loss on an Asia-EU corridor.
• A three-step claim worksheet capturing the loss, the incident type (water, theft, contamination, mechanical, container damage, heating, vessel incident, General Average), and the recovery picture.
• A decision card mapping three insurance positions to a next step.

How the Hague-Visby cap maps to a typical container loss

The cargo owner is entitled to the higher of the two caps under Article IV(5)(a) as amended by the 1979 Protocol.

Who this is for

Built for cargo owners, traders, exporters, and importers in Malaysia and Singapore handling a live or recent cargo claim, including water damage, theft, contamination, mechanical damage, container breach, heating or self-heating, and vessel incidents. The card assumes commercial maturity and a working familiarity with bills of lading, ICC clauses, and the basic structure of cargo claims.

What this card references

All recovery and coverage references are subject to policy terms and conditions and the convention applicable to the contract of carriage. The card draws on the Hague-Visby Rules (Article IV(5)(a) package or weight cap as amended by the 1979 Protocol, Article IV(2)(q) fault test, Article III(6) 1-year time bar), Institute Cargo Clauses (A), (B), and (C) 2009, the Marine Insurance Act 1906 (sue and labour duty), and the IMF SDR rate published daily by the International Monetary Fund.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Hague-Visby cap by package?

The cap by package is 666.67 SDR per package or unit. If a 20-foot container is treated as a single package, the cap is 666.67 SDR; if the bill of lading enumerates the cartons inside, each enumerated package counts. The package count is determined by the bill of lading.

How do I convert SDR to USD?

The IMF publishes the SDR/USD rate daily. As of April 2026, the rate was around USD 1.37 per SDR; verify the rate current at the date of the loss for case-specific arithmetic. The cap is calculated in SDR and translated to the contract currency at the prevailing rate.

What is the Article IV(2)(q) fault test under Hague-Visby?

Article IV(2)(q) allows the carrier to avoid or limit liability if the loss arose without actual fault or privity of the carrier or its servants. Most contested cargo claims turn on which side bears the burden of proof on a specific issue, and the fault test is where the contest sits.

What is the time bar on a Hague-Visby cargo claim?

Article III(6) sets a 1-year time bar from the date of delivery, or from the date when the goods should have been delivered. A late claim is barred. Diary the deadline the day the loss is identified and notify the cargo insurer immediately.

Download the card, walk the framework against your live claim, and notify your insurer or intermediary before evidence and time bars work against you.