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A detailed explanation of the international shipping bill of lading.
Aug 15,2024
In today's globalization, international trade is becoming more and more frequent. In this process, ocean bill of lading, as the core document, plays a vital role. This article will introduce in detail what is a sea bill of lading, as well as the main classification of sea bills of lading, to help you better understand and use this important document.
What is a sea bill of lading?
A bill of lading (B/L) is a document issued by the carrier or its agent to prove that specific goods have been received and promise to transport these goods to a specified destination and deliver them to a specific consignee. The sea bill of lading is not just a receipt, it has the following three functions at the same time:
Contract of carriage: A sea way bill of lading is a contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier that clarifies the rights and obligations of both parties.
Goods receipt: It proves that the carrier has received the goods and records in detail the kind of goods | quantity and condition.
Document of property rights: The person holding the sea way bill of lading, that is, the legal owner of the goods, can take the goods at the destination on the basis of this bill of lading.
The main classification of the sea bill of lading.
According to different issuing subjects and usage scenarios, sea bills of lading can be divided into the following two main types: shipowner's bill of lading and freight forwarding bill of lading.
1, the owner's bill of lading.
Master Bill of Lading (MB/L) is a bill of lading issued directly by the shipping company. It is usually used for the transportation of full-box goods and has the following characteristics:
Direct issuance: The shipping company issues a bill of lading directly to the shipper, and after the goods arrive at their destination, the consignee can take delivery of the goods directly to the shipping company with this bill of lading without going through an intermediary.
Scope of application: more suitable for the transport of the whole box of goods, because the whole box of goods is usually sent by a shipper to a consignee, the intermediate link is relatively small.
Although shipowner's bill of lading is more common in the transport of FCL, the use of shipowner's bill of lading may cause some inconvenience in the transport of LCL.
2, freight forwarding bill of lading.
House Bill of Lading (HB/L) is issued by a freight forwarding company with the qualification of a non-ship carrier. Compared to the ship's bill of lading, the bill of lading has a higher flexibility, mainly in the following aspects:
More flexibility: The freight forwarding bill of lading allows the freight forwarding company to act as an intermediary to provide a wider range of services to the shipper and consignee, such as hiding cargo resources, protecting trade secrets, providing service options such as freight to pay, DDU, DDP, etc.
Wide scope of application: that is suitable for the whole box of goods, but also applies to the LCL goods. Forwarders are able to consolidate LCL shipments from multiple shippers for more efficient transportation and distribution.
In practice, the shipper of the bill of lading is usually the actual exporter, while the consignee information is filled in under the letter of credit or other trade terms. This arrangement gives the bill of lading an advantage in dealing with complex international trade.
As an important document in international trade, the role and classification of sea way bills of lading are essential to ensure the smooth progress of trade. Both the shipowner and the freight forwarder bill of lading have their own unique advantages and applicable scenarios. The choice of bill of lading should be based on the specific trade needs, the nature of the goods and the logistics arrangements.
In the globalized trade environment, understanding and correctly using the sea bill of lading can effectively ensure the safety and smoothness of the transportation of goods and escort the international business of the enterprise.
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