The International Convention concerning the Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM) was adopted on 14 October 1890 and came into force on 1 January 1893.

CIM was a response to the urgent need to adopt international legal rules and principles in a context of very strong growth in international rail traffic.

The Central Office for International Carriage by Rail, a supranational body founded in 1893 in Berne, was responsible for overseeing CIM and the International Convention concerning the Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Rail (CIV).

CIM was subsequently incorporated into the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) to form Appendix B, or the “Uniform Rules concerning the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail” (CIM UR).