What is a bill of lading?

The bill of lading is generally a kind of document required in international trade transportation, and this document is very important. So what exactly is a bill of lading? What content does it contain?



Definition of lading definition
A bill of lading, abbreviated as B / L, refers to a document used to prove that a contract for the carriage of goods by sea and the goods have been received or shipped by the carrier, and the carrier warrants the delivery of the goods.

The bill of lading in the field of foreign trade, referred to as Bill of Lading, B / L, is one of the most important documents in international settlement. A certificate issued by the transportation department to the consignor (either the exporter or the freight forwarder) when carrying the goods. The consignee picks up the goods with the bill of lading to the transportation department of the freight destination. The bill of lading must be signed by the carrier or the shipper before it took effects. It is one of the valid documents for customs declaration of marine cargo.

The content of Bill of lading
In accordance with the customs regulations, filling the bill of lading, there are items must be recorded, generally include the following items:
1. Bill of lading number (B / L No): Generally listed in the upper right corner of the bill of lading for easy working contact and verification. When the consignor sends a shipment notice to the consignee, the ship's name and bill of lading number must also be listed.
2. The name of the goods, the marks, the number of packages or pieces, the weight or volume, and the description of the nature of the danger when transporting the dangerous goods.
3. The name of the carrier: the carrier or the captain, or a person authorized by him to sign or seal.
4. Name of Vessel: Fill in the name and voyage of the shipment. If the bill of lading has been loaded, the name of the ship must be filled in.
5. Shipper: Fill in the name and address of the shipper, or fill in the code if necessary. The shipper is generally the beneficiary (exporter) in the letter of credit.
6. Consignee: fill in the name and address of the consignee, and if necessary, fill in the telephone, fax or code. If a bill of lading required to be recorded, this column can be filled with the name of the specific consignee; if it is an instruction bill of lading, it should be filled with "To order" or "To order of ×××".
7. Notify party: This is the recipient of the shipping notice sent by the shipping company when the goods arrive at the destination port, sometimes the importer. The notifying party is generally the intended consignee or the consignee ’s agent.
8. Port of Loading: This column should be filled with the specific name of the actual port of loading.
9. Port of Discharge: This column should be filled with the specific name of the port where the cargo was actually unloaded.
10. Date, place and number of issuance of bill of lading: The place of issuance of bill of lading is in principle the place of loading, and is generally issued at the port of loading or the goods are concentrated. The date of issuance of the bill of lading should be the date on which the goods listed on the bill of lading were actually shipped, and it should be the same as the date issued by the first officer on the receipt. The number of copies of the bill of lading is generally issued in accordance with the requirements of the letter of credit, such as "Full Set of", which is generally understood as the original bill of lading in triplicate, each of which has the same effect. After the consignee picks up the goods with one of them, the other copies are automatically invalid. The number of copies of the bill of lading may depend on the shipper's needs.
11. Freight and Charges (Freight and Charges): Generally are prepay or pay when arrived. For CIF or CFR exports, generally fill in the word "freight prepaid", which must not be omitted, otherwise the consignee will pick up the goods late or not because of the unclear freight. If the FOB is exported, the freight can be made into "Freight Collect", unless the consignee entrusts the consignor to advance the freight.