New Zealand hopes to provide greater protection for shippers of key exports such as fruit, vegetables and meat.

Much of the industry believes that existing legislation is outdated because of improved technology.

New rules would cover requirements for temperature, atmosphere, humidity and ventilation in sea-freight of perishables.

Under the proposed changes, the carrier's responsibility would be extended from just port-to-port coverage to cover the period from receipt to delivery. Provisions would also be made for electronic transport documents and a carrier's obligations of due diligence would be extended to cover carrier-supplied container. The ability to sue the registered ship owner if the identity of the carrier is in doubt would also be included.

Countries such as New Zealand and Chile which depend heavily on maritime transport of perishables for export earnings stand to benefit from the new rules, however, it is likely to be at least three years before the proposed new rules become international maritime law.

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