How to read the ocean bill of lading

(1) The consignor is generally the beneficiary in the letter of credit. If the issuer requests a third party bill of lading for trade purposes, it can also do so.

(2) The consignee, if a registered bill of lading is required, can fill in the specific name of the consignee or consignee; If the bill of lading is instructed, fill in "to order" or "to order"; If it is necessary to list the instructions on the bill of lading, it can be made as "to the shipper's instructions", "to the consignee's instructions" or "to the XX bank's instructions" according to different requirements.

(3) The notifying party, that is, the receiving party of the arrival notice issued by the shipping company when the goods arrive at the destination port, is sometimes the importer. The bill of lading under the letter of credit must be filled in strictly according to the requirements of the letter of credit, if the letter of credit specifically stipulates that the notified person of the bill of lading has the right. If so

If the registered bill of lading or consignee indicates the bill of lading and the consignee has a detailed address, this column can be left blank. If it is a blank bill of lading or a shipper's bill of lading, the name and detailed address of the notified person must be filled in this column, otherwise, the ship will not be able to contact the consignee, and the consignee will not be able to declare the goods in time, or even be confiscated because it exceeds the customs declaration time.

(4) The number of the bill of lading (B/L NO) is generally listed in the upper right corner of the bill of lading, which is convenient for work contact and verification. When the shipper sends the shipping notice to the consignee, it should also list the name of the ship and the bill of lading number.

(5) Name of the ship, indicating the name and voyage of the ship carrying the goods.

(6) The specific name of the actual loading port shall be filled in at the loading port.

(7) Port of discharge, indicating the name of the port where the goods are actually discharged. In case of transshipment, the port of discharge on the first bill of lading should be filled in the port of transshipment, and the consignee should fill in the second shipping company; The loading port of the second bill of lading should be filled in the transshipment port, and the unloading port should be filled in the final destination port. If the through bill of lading (through bill of lading) is issued by the first shipping company, you can fill in the final destination port at the port of discharge and list the names of the first and second ships in the bill of lading. In case of transshipment through the port, the words "VIA X X" should be displayed. At present, when using the container transportation mode, the through bill of lading is used. In addition to the port of loading and the port of discharge, the bill of lading also lists the place of receipt, the place of delivery, the place of pre-shipment and the name and voyage of the maritime vessel. Fill in the unloading port, and pay attention to the port with the same name. If it is a bill of lading for the selected port, it should be indicated in this column.

(8) Description of the goods. Under the letter of credit, the name of the goods must be consistent with the letter of credit.

(9) Packing quantity and packing type should be filled in according to the actual packing situation of the box.

(10) marks and numbers. If there are provisions in the letter of credit, it must be filled in according to the provisions, otherwise it can be filled in according to the shipping mark on the invoice.

(1 1) gross weight, measurement. Unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of credit, the gross weight of goods is generally listed in kilograms, and the volume of goods is listed in cubic meters.

(12) Freight and handling fees are generally prepaid or to pay the freight. For CIF or CFR exports, the words freight prepaid are generally filled in and cannot be omitted, otherwise the consignee will not be able to deliver the goods due to freight problems. Although the situation can be ascertained, late delivery will also cause losses. For FOB export, the freight can be marked as "to pay the freight", unless the consignee entrusts the shipper to prepay the freight.

(13) issuance, date and number of bill of lading: the bill of lading must be issued by the carrier or the captain or his agent, and the identity of the issuer shall be clearly indicated. General expressions are: carrier, captain or "as the agent of the carrier: XXX". The number of bills of lading is generally issued according to the requirements of the letter of credit. For example, "complete set" is generally understood as three originals and several copies. After one of the originals completes the delivery task, the other copies will be invalid. Bill of lading is also a necessary document for settlement of foreign exchange, especially in documentary letter of credit settlement, the documents required by the bank must be consistent, so the date signed on the bill of lading must be the same as or earlier than the final shipment date required by the letter of credit or contract. If the seller estimates that the goods can't be shipped before the date of the letter of credit, he should inform the buyer as soon as possible and ask for the amendment of the letter of credit, instead of using fraudulent acts such as "countersigning the bill of lading" and "borrowing the bill of lading in advance" to obtain payment.

2. The back clause of the bill of lading and its basis:

There are many clauses on the back of the original long-term bill of lading, including:

(1) Definition clause)-Related parties such as "carrier" and "shipper" are mainly defined.

(2) Jurisdiction clause-It is pointed out that when there is a dispute over the bill of lading, according to the law, the court has the right to hear and solve the case.

(3) Time limit for liability-The ordinary ocean bill of lading stipulates that the carrier's time limit for liability shall be from the time when the goods are loaded to the time when the goods are unloaded. Container bill of lading is from the carrier's acceptance of the goods to the delivery of the designated consignee.

(4) Packaging and marking-The shipper is required to provide proper packaging and correct and clear marking for the goods. All expenses arising from unclear marks or poor packaging shall be borne by the cargo side.

(5) Freight and other expenses-Freight is prepaid and should be paid together at the time of shipment, and what has been paid should be paid together at the time of delivery. When the ship and the goods suffer any loss or damage, the freight shall still be paid, otherwise, the carrier may exercise the lien on the goods and documents.

(6) Transshipment clause-Although the carrier trans issued the through bill of lading, it is still free to transhipment due to objective needs without the consent of the shipper. The transshipment expenses are borne by the carrier, but the risks are borne by the shipper, and the carrier's responsibility is limited to the transportation part completed by the ships it operates.

(7) The details provided by the shipper are inaccurate-the carrier has the right to check the quantity, weight, size and content of the goods declared by the shipper at the port of shipment and the port of destination. If it is found that it is inconsistent with the actual situation, the carrier can charge a freight penalty.

(8) the carrier's limit of liability-stipulates the carrier's compensation limit for the loss caused by the loss or damage of goods, that is, the compensation amount per goods or per unit of calculation shall not exceed a certain amount at most.

(9)* * General Average (g. a .)- To stipulate what rules should be followed for adjustment in case of * * * General Average. International adjustment usually adopts 1974 York-Antwerp rule. In China, some bills of lading are often adjusted according to the Beijing adjustment rules of 1975.

(10) American clause)-It is stipulated that the transportation of goods in and out of American ports can only be governed by the Law on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (1936). 1936) The freight will be carried out according to the rate table registered by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). If the terms of the bill of lading conflict with the above laws, the laws of the United States shall prevail. This clause is also called "partial clause".

(1 1) deck cargo, live animals and plants)-The provisions on acceptance, loading and unloading, transportation, storage and unloading of these three types of goods shall be borne by the shipper, and the carrier shall not be responsible for their loss or damage.