• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.61
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• pp.93-111
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• 2014

In this article, I have reviewed the validity of the Retla Clauses in bills of lading. In Tokio Marine(1970), US courts have permitted carriers to include Retla Clauses in their bills of lading that essentially disclaim all responsibility for the required statement. Simon J in The Saga Explorer(2012) disagreed with the decision of no representation in Tokio Marine and held that the statement with the Retla Clauses made on the bills of lading as to the cargo's apparent condition was a fraudulent misrepresentation. Simon J also requested a strong carriers' honest conduct. However, because the shippers always request the clean bill of lading for trade purpose and never call for a substitute bill of lading showing the true condition of goods, carriers will inevitably continue to clause bills of lading if they have no other better way of protecting themselves in the situation of Tokio Marine or The Saga Explorer. For the present, the decision of misrepresentation in The Saga Explorer might be helpless to change the position of the assignees of the bills of lading. And it seems that the debate on the validity of the Retla Clauses in bills of lading will be continued for the time being. In these circumstances, if the buyers hope to void the potential dispute, they may have a special agreement in the sale of goods contract, for example, requiring a pre-shipment inspection of the goods so as to know the actual condition of the goods on shipment.