Application and Interpretation.
1.1. These Earth Coast Delivery Services Company Standard Terms and Conditions (“Conditions”) are a legally binding contract
between the Company and Customer, and apply upon commencement to all forwarding,
transportation, storage, transfer, interchange and other logistics services (“Services”) provided by
the Company to or for any Customer at any location, whether or not the Company issues any other
document, or whether the Company and Customer enter any other agreement. Except and to the
extent otherwise expressly set forth herein, these Conditions constitute the entire agreement of
the parties, and supersede all prior agreements or offers.
1.2. The provisions of Part I of these Conditions shall apply to all Services provided by the Company
whether as agent or principal.
1.3. The provisions of Part II of these Conditions shall only apply to the extent that Services are provided
by the Company as agents. In the event of any inconsistencies between any provisions in Part II and
those in Part I, the provisions in Part II shall prevail.
1.4. The provisions of Part III of these Conditions shall only apply to the extent that Services are provided
by the Company as principals. In the event of any inconsistencies between any provisions in Part III
and those in Part I, the provisions in Part III shall prevail.
2. Subject to Clauses 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 below, all Services or activities provided by the Company whether
gratuitous or otherwise are subject to these Conditions which are deemed to be immediately incorporated
into any agreement or arrangement between Company and the Customer and which are also deemed to
prevail over any standard conditions of contract of the Customer.
2.1. If the Company and the Customer have signed a specially negotiated agreement or contract, these
Conditions shall continue to apply, but such negotiated agreement shall be paramount and prevail
in so far as its terms are inconsistent with these Conditions but no further.
2.2. In the event the Company renders Services, and any document(s) containing terms and conditions
governing such Services is issued by or on behalf of the Company, including but not limited to a
forwarder’s cargo receipt, bill of lading, sea waybill, air waybill (whether issued in paper or electronic
form), and any applicable tariff published by the Company, the terms and conditions set forth in
such document(s) shall govern those Services to the extent that they are inconsistent with these
Conditions.
2.3. In the event the Company renders Services that are validly governed by such other general terms
and conditions, including but not limited to the Allgemeine Deutsche Spediteurbedingungen – ADSp
– (German Freight Forwarders’ General Terms and Conditions), such other general terms and
conditions shall govern those Services to the extent that they are inconsistent with these Conditions.
2.4. Where the Customer uses or accesses any Information System operated by the Company, then the
Company’s user terms if any (as published on the relevant Information System or available upon request from the Company) shall govern the use or access of such Information System to the extent
that they are inconsistent with these Conditions.
2.5. If any legislation is compulsorily applicable to any Services, these Conditions shall, as regards such
Services, be read as subject to such legislation and nothing in these Conditions shall be construed
as a surrender by the Company of any of its rights or immunities or as an increase of any of its
responsibilities or liabilities under such legislation and if any part of these Conditions is overridden
or nullified by such legislation to any extent, such part shall as regards such Services be overridden
or nullified to that extent and no further.
2.6. Every variation, cancellation or waiver of these Conditions or any part thereof must be in writing
and duly signed by an authorised signatory of the Company (including such other formalities as may
be required under any applicable law). Notice is hereby given that no other person has or will be
given any authority whatsoever to agree to any variation, cancellation or waiver of these Conditions.
2.7. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary these Conditions shall not apply to inland ramp-to-ramp
motor and rail carrier transportation services that is provided or arranged by the Company in the
United States of America and in Central and South America and governed by Company’s separate
terms and conditions governing such services.
3. All Services are provided by the Company as agents on behalf of the Customer except in and to the extent of
the following circumstances where the Company provides the Services as principal:
3.1. where the Company performs any Carriage or storage of Goods, but only to the extent that the
Carriage or storage of Goods is performed by the Company itself or its servants, employees and
agents, and the Goods are in the actual custody and control of the Company;
3.2. To the extent that the Company expressly agrees in writing to act as a principal; or
3.3. To the extent that the Company is bound by any previous decision or ruling by a court of law in a
particular jurisdiction to be acting as a principal, and save where provided in this Clause 3, the
Company shall not assume any liability as a principal by reason, whether partially or solely, of any
foreign judgment or order of court where the Company may have previously been found to have
acted as principal in such judgment or order.
4. Without prejudice to the generality of Clause 3,
4.1. The charging by the Company of an inclusive price for any Services shall not in itself determine or
be evidence that the Company is acting as an agent or a principal in respect of such Services;
4.2. The supplying by the Company of their own or leased equipment and/or facilities, shall not in itself
determine or be evidence that the Company is acting as an agent or a principal in respect of such
Services;
4.3. The arrangement by the Company for Goods to be forwarded, carried, transported, stored or
otherwise handled together, or in consolidation, with any other goods shall not in itself determine
or be evidence that the Company is acting as an agent or a principal in respect of such Services;