On May 1, 2026, the revised Maritime Law of the People's Republic of China will enter into force. This is the first major overhaul of the document in over 30 years since its enactment in 1992 (effective in 1993). The new edition introduces fundamental changes to the legal regulation of international freight transportation, affecting jurisdiction, digitalization of document flow, and the allocation of liability among foreign economic activity participants.

One of the main innovations is the tightening of conflict-of-law rules: if the port of loading or discharge is located within Chinese territory, Chinese law shall apply to disputes, regardless of the terms specified in the bill of lading. Furthermore, the legislator has for the first time explicitly placed the financial and legal liability for abandoned cargo at the port on the shipper. This allows Chinese exporters to pass the costs back through the contract or initiate the disposal of the goods.

Significant changes have also affected document flow: electronic bills of lading (e-B/L) issued through digital registries and blockchain platforms are officially granted the same legal status as traditional paper documents. Digitalization records every stage of cargo transfer, making the logistics chain fully transparent to carriers and PRC regulatory authorities, but simultaneously increasing compliance risks when attempting unauthorized modifications to shipping documents (formerly known as the practice of 'gray' or switch bills of lading).

RetailChina.pro Commentary: The entry into force of the new PRC Maritime Code requires international forwarders and importers to promptly audit their current logistics contracts. The mandatory application of Chinese law in PRC ports and the legalization of electronic bills of lading narrow the opportunities for using multi-level transit schemes with document substitution. Market participants must adapt their legal frameworks to the new requirements of shipper liability and integrate into digital document flow platforms recognized by the PRC.