論批量契約在國際海上運送公約下之適用

Abstract

Owing to the development of global marine industry and the advancement of commercial trends, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law regards it to be an imminent task to renew various conventions on the carriage of goods by sea. To this end, United Nations Convention on the Contracts of International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea (“the Rotterdam Rules”) has come into existence. Among the past shipping practices and several conventions on the carriage of goods by sea which are currently in effective, it is easy to find the utilization of limitations on freedom of contract and the avoidance of abusive usage of freedom of contract have obviously been the legislative intents when enacting relevant provisions. On the contrary, the Rotterdam Rules incorporated the concept of volume contract as a pioneering move, granting both parties broader freedom in contacting with each other. In other words, these changes not only preserved the notion of freedom of contract, but also stoke a perfect balance on the limitations of such contracting freedom. This research focuses on the freedom of contract, Rotterdam Rules, and the volume contract as the main topics of discussion. This paper begins with the introduction of the “freedom of contract” concept embedded in major conventions on the carriage of goods by sea, and examines how the concept has been applied. Moreover, this paper provides Anglo American legal cases to evidence the generalized analyses, and compiles the interviews with authorities as well as experts’ point of views in inferring the possible outcomes and impacts of how the volume contract may influence both the carriers and the shippers in the overall market once the Rotterdam Rules becomes effective. Lastly, this research concludes with suggestions in the hope of presenting constructive comments as a reference for the prospective amendments on relevant domestic laws.有鑑於全球海運之發展、運輸科技的進步以及商業的趨勢，聯合國貿易法委員會（UNCITRAL） 認為國際海上貨物運送公約有整合與更新的必要，最新的國際海上貨物運送公約─《聯合國全部或部 分海上貨物運送契約公約》，簡稱「鹿特丹規則」因運而生。從過去航貿實務以及現行國際海上貨物運 送公約（即：海牙規則、海牙威士比規則及漢堡規則）中，不難看出限制契約自由、避免濫用契約自 由係各公約的主要立法意旨。相較之下，鹿特丹規則首次將批量契約納入公約的規範之中，明顯地賦 予契約當事人更廣的契約自由幅度，不僅保留了契約自由原則之概念，又恰當地明訂限制契約自由之 情形，此種調和，可謂國際海運上創新的改變。本研究擬以契約自由原則、鹿特丹規則及批量契約為 探討核心。首先介紹契約自由在各主要國際海上貨物運送公約之適用情形，以及各公約如何在限制契 約自由與保留契約自由之間權衡，以求平衡運送契約雙方當事人之權益，並且避免契約自由原則被濫 用的可能。再者，本文接續輔以英美法院判決為佐證，並彙整專家、學者們之訪談結果及見解，推論 出鹿特丹規則生效後，批量契約對於整體市場的運送人及託運人潛在之影響，最後再提出本研究之建 議以期提供後續研究及未來國內修法之參考。