CMR (Road Transport Waybill)
The international transport document for road freight under the CMR Convention, used for land shipments from China via Kazakhstan or other overland routes.
In detail
CMR is the standard transport document for international road freight, governed by the UN Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR, 1956). Unlike an ocean B/L, a CMR is not a document of title — it is simply a transport contract and receipt. CMR is used for: road shipments from China through Kazakhstan to Russia, goods shipped via Mongolia-Russia land routes, and partial overland legs in multimodal shipments. Contents: sender and recipient details, carrier information, cargo description (weight, dimensions, marks), special instructions, and liability declarations. Carrier liability under CMR is limited to 8.33 SDR per kg gross weight — significantly lower than the actual value of most commercial cargo. This makes cargo insurance essential for CMR shipments. At Russian customs, CMR is submitted alongside the customs declaration as the transport document confirming the shipment's origin and route.
Examples
- →Road shipment Urumqi (China) → Almaty (Kazakhstan) → Moscow: CMR issued by the road carrier covers the full journey
Related terms
Freight Forwarder
A company that arranges international cargo transportation on behalf of shippers — booking carriers, managing documentation, and coordinating the logistics chain.
Cargo Insurance (Marine Insurance)
Insurance coverage for physical loss or damage to goods during international transportation.
Customs Declaration (ДТ)
The official electronic document filed with customs to declare imported goods, their value, classification, and applicable taxes — required for every commercial import in Russia.