INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, multimodal transportation plays a key role in international logistics. Multimodal

transport is commonly known as referring to the combination of two or more modes of
movement of goods, such as road, rail, or sea. The development of multimodal transportation
has been followed by an increase in multimodal transportation research.
In international trade, multimodal transport has been identified as an efficient way of
transporting international cargo. In this system of transportation, one transport document, one
tariff rate and a single through-liability are applied. The principal aim of multimodal transport
is to make the movement of goods from seller to buyer more efficient, through faster transit
times and reduced costs. During multimodal transportation, the responsibility and liability is
concentrated in one entity known as the multimodal transport operator (MTO), who organizes
all transport systems in the transport chain between countries.
Many international organizations had previously issued rules and regulations concerning the
multimodal transportation. In 1980, the United Nations Convention on International
Multimodal Transport of Goods, so called as MT Convention, was adopted. However, it still
lacks sufficient signatories to enter into force. Pending the entry into force of the MT
Convention, in 1991 UNCTAD and ICC had collaborated and issued non legally binding
Rules, referred to as UNCTAD/ICC Rules for Multimodal Transport Documents or
UNCTAD/ICC Rules. In Vietnam, the law has not caught up with the development of
multimodal transport.
Therefore, improving and perfecting multimodal transports legislation in general is very
necessary for business entities to protect their rights and benefits in international trading. For
this reason, we have decided to write the research paper titled: Legitimate basis for
multimodal transport.