Emergency Contact Revised Maritime Code of the People's Republic of China Home Latest updates News Revised Maritime Code of the People's Republic of China 4 Jun 2026 View/Download PDF Sign up for alerts Following several rounds of public consultation and review, the Maritime Code of the People’s Republic of China (CMC) has now been updated. The revised CMC represents the first comprehensive revision of the Code since its enactment in 1993 and entered into force on 1 May 2026. The revision aims to unify domestic and international maritime rules, strengthen the protection of marine ecology and the legitimate rights and interests of parties involved in maritime transport, improve legal certainty and judicial efficiency, and align Chinese maritime law more closely with international conventions and modern shipping practices. Thanks to the assistance of Jasmine Liu at Wintell & Co, the Club has produced a summary of the key amendments from a P&I perspective that may be relevant to Members. Contract of Carriage of Goods by Sea (Chapter IV) The chapter applies compulsorily to a contract for international carriage of goods by sea where either the port of loading or the port of discharge is located within the territory of China. Its scope has been extended to cover coastal voyages, notwithstanding the stricter liability relating to seaworthiness obligations, delay in delivery and the availability of defences. The carrier’s period of responsibility is extended to cover the entire duration from receipt of the goods until their delivery. The shipper is subject to a statutory warranty that the goods are fit for the intended carriage. Responsibility for costs and risks arising from a failure to take delivery at the port of discharge is transferred from the consignee to the shipper. It adopts a different approach for calculating cargo value by referring to the market price at the place and time of delivery. Where this cannot be determined, the value shall be assessed based