The 1996 LLMC Protocol establishes the limit of liability for ships according to gross tonnage (or in the case of passengers, a calculation based on the number of passengers the ship is licensed to carry). For ships not exceeding 2,000gt the shipowner’s liability is 1 million SDR (Special Drawing Rights). For ships greater than 2,000gt, the following method is used to calculate limits:

a) For each ton from 2,001 to 30,000 tons, 400 SDR 
b) For each ton from 30,001 to 70,000 tons, 300 SDR 
c) For each ton in excess of 70,000 tons, 200 SDR