Introduction
A new Civil and Commercial Code entered into force on August 1
2015, which governs civil and commercial matters in Argentina. In
this context, Argentine law – which follows the civil law
system – has replaced the Commercial Code (1859) and the
Civil Code (1869). The new code makes improvements to
Argentina's legal framework, particularly in the fields of
family law and consumer law. However, the reform does not appear to
be straightforward from a shipping and transport law perspective.
The Navigation Act (20,094/73) was not affected and remains
separately binding to the code, as does the Aeronautical Code
(17,285/67).
Contract of transport
The code introduces a new chapter that addresses the contract of
transport applicable to the carriage of goods and passengers. The
chapter primarily endeavours to set out general principles and
rules. While these principles appear to cover any contract of
carriage – whether by land, air or sea – the
