What is a key difference between Hague-Visby Rules and Rotterdam Rules?

• A. Hague-Visby covers door-to-door multimodal transport; Rotterdam Rules cover sea carriage only.
• B. Rotterdam Rules address door-to-door multimodal transport including containers; Hague-Visby primarily sea carriage.
• C. Hague-Visby is about air transport; Rotterdam about sea.
• D. They are identical in scope; Neither includes containers.

Answer: (B)

The key difference is the scope of transport covered. The Rotterdam Rules are designed for door-to-door multimodal transport, including containerized shipments and the inland legs (road, rail, etc.) that can be part of the same contract. Hague-Visby, by contrast, governs sea carriage only, applying to the carriage of goods by sea and not extending to the land portions of a journey. This makes Rotterdam more expansive, aiming to unify liability across the entire multimodal journey, while Hague-Visby remains focused on the sea leg. The other options misstate the scope: Hague-Visby is not about air transport, and the rules are not identical in scope.