COGSA: Carriage of Goods by Sea Act - Federal law governing rights and responsibilities between shippers and ocean carriers in international trade

Pomerene Act: Federal Bills of Lading Act establishing rules for negotiable bills of lading in foreign and interstate commerce

Harter Act: Federal law regulating maritime bills of lading and liability of vessel owners and operators

Interstate Commerce Act: Federal law regulating interstate transportation and carriers

Ocean Shipping Reform Act: Federal legislation governing ocean shipping regulations and practices

Hague Rules: International convention establishing uniform rules for bills of lading in international trade

Hague-Visby Rules: Updated version of Hague Rules with amended liability limits and scope

Hamburg Rules: International convention providing alternative framework for maritime cargo liability

Rotterdam Rules: Modern international convention on carriage of goods (not ratified by US) covering multimodal transport

UCC Article 7: Uniform Commercial Code Article governing documents of title, including bills of lading, at state level

Liability Limitations: Legal provisions defining carrier's liability limits and exceptions in transport

Notice Requirements: Mandatory timeframes and procedures for providing notice of claims or damages

Time Bars: Statutory limitations periods for filing claims under bill of lading

Goods Description Requirements: Legal requirements for accurately describing cargo in bills of lading

Clean vs. Claused B/L: Legal distinctions between clean bills of lading and those with reservations or exceptions noted

Negotiability Provisions: Rules governing transferability and negotiability of bills of lading

Jurisdiction Clauses: Provisions determining which courts have authority over disputes

Choice of Law Provisions: Clauses specifying which jurisdiction's laws govern the contract

Arbitration Clauses: Provisions for alternative dispute resolution through arbitration

Force Majeure Provisions: Clauses addressing unforeseeable circumstances preventing contract fulfillment