International Trade Documents

Updated 06 January | Hashtags #international trade documents  #air waybill  #certificate of origin  #bill of lading  #combined transport document #draft (or bill of exchange) #insurance policy (or certificate) #packing list/specification  #inspection certificate #documents used in international trade #commercial documents in international trade #import export documents international trade #types of transport documents in international trade

6.1. Shipping Documents 

6.1.1. Marine Bill of Lading (Marine / Ocean Bill of Lading) 

6.1.1.1. Bills of Lading in terms of Loading and Transport
Bills of lading are issued in two ways as "Receipt" and "Loading" bills of lading in terms of loading and transportation:

1. Bill of Lading (received b/l): This type of bill of lading shows that the goods have been received for carriage. Since the loading event has not taken place yet, banks do not count on such bills of lading. When loading is done, the loading date is made into a loading bill of lading by stamping and signing by the agency and writing "shipped on board".

2. Bill of Lading (shipped b/l - on board b/l): If the bill of lading shows that the goods have been loaded directly, it is called “Loading Bill of Lading”. The issue date of the bill of lading is also the loading date.

6.1.1.2. Some Other Bill of Lading Terms


a. Notification Address (notify address )

The name and address of the person to whom the arrival of the goods will be notified at the port of destination. This person may also be the buyer's representative, customs officer or the buyer himself. Who will be the "Notify" notification address is specified in the letters of credit.

b. Stale bill of lading:

The bill of lading must be presented to the bank as soon as possible after the date of loading. Otherwise, the bill of lading will not be received by the buyer a sufficient time before the arrival of the goods. The fact that the bill of lading has not yet been received by the buyer, although the goods have arrived at the destination port, causes delay costs (demurrage). Bills of lading, which are not presented to the bank within 21 days from the date of loading, qualify as stale bills of lading and become the subject of reserve. In order for the stale bill of lading to be accepted by the bank, either this reserve must be removed by the buyer or it must be stated in advance that the stale bill of lading will be accepted.

c. Bill of lading copies/full set statement :

Bills of lading are issued in more than one copy. The purpose of this is to have the opportunity to use the other in case of loss of one. The number of originals and copies arranged according to the request of the shipper are recorded in the bill of lading. (3/3, 2/3.2/2 etc). All of these are called full sets. The most common form of editing is 3 originals / 3 non-negotiable copies. Banks divide these sets into 2/2 and 1/1 and send them to their correspondents by registered/airmail or courier. If the letter of credit condition stipulates that all documents must be sent in one party, it is natural that this will be complied with. In the first presentation of any of the original copies, the goods are delivered by the ship company to the last endorser of the bill of lading and the company is relieved of all responsibility. Even if the original owner of the goods later comes with a second original copy and demands the goods, the transport company is not responsible. Therefore, a buyer company that wants the goods to be completely under its control has to keep all original copies.

6.1.1.3. Bills of Lading in Terms of the Condition of the Goods Contained

Before signing the bill of lading, the carriers check the goods in terms of appearance and determine the general condition on the bill of lading.

1. Clean Bill of Lading :

They are bills of lading that do not bear a clear indication that the loaded goods or packages are defective. It can be stated that the goods are in good condition with the phrase "clean on board", or it can be printed on the bill of lading.

2. Dirty Bill of Lading:

These are the bills of lading on which the carrier has noted the defective goods or packages, which are detected during loading, together with their number (2 boxes broken - 2 boxes broken).

6.1.1.4. Featured Bills of Lading

Bills of lading can also be classified according to the way they are transported and arranged .

1. Short Bill of Lading – Short Form / Blank Back Bill of Lading

Bill of lading is also a contract of carriage. Naturally, the full text of this contract, which includes the terms of the transport company, is printed in small print on the back of the bill of lading. These agreements have been determined by various international agreements. The most distinctive feature of the short form bill of lading is that the text of the contract is not included on the back of the document. It is sufficient to mention the source of the contract text, which should be on the back, on the obverse. Because of this feature, this type of bill of lading is called a "Blank back" bill of lading. Unless there is a contrary provision in the letter of credit, banks do not accept such bills of lading.

2. Bill of Lading Based on Freight Contract – Charter Party Bill of Lading

The shipper may charter a part or all of the ship for one voyage or for a period of time for the goods to be exported. A charter party agreement is made between the carrier and the carrier. There is no charter party agreement on the bill of lading, it is only written that it is based on the charter party agreement (subject to the charter party). In case of any dispute, it may pose a risk for the third parties related to the goods, since this contract precludes the general principles. Therefore, banks do not want to accept such bills of lading in overdraft transactions. If the contract is made for a certain period of time, it is called "Time Charter", if it is made for a certain voyage, it is called "Trip Charter" contracts.

3. Single Bill of Lading / Full Bill of Lading - Throught Bill of Lading

These are bills of lading issued in case of land transportation before or after sea transportation. The bill of lading covers the whole of this transit. It is arranged by the shipping company or agency. The liability of the carrier is limited only to the damages and losses that may occur during maritime transportation. In the combined shipping bill of lading, the responsibility of the carrier starts from the point where it receives the goods and continues until the point where it is delivered.

4. Container Bill of Lading – Container Bill of Lading

A container is a large box made of light metal, which is closed by placing goods and sealed by customs, with dimensions and types determined in world standards. If the transportation is done by containers, a container bill of lading with a suitable printed form is drawn up, information about the goods is written on the bill of lading with the record "according to the notification of the shipper" and bills of lading containing this record are considered "clean on board".

5. Combined Transport Bill of Lading / Combined Transport Bill of Lading Combined-Transport Bill of Lading

This document is a bill of lading for a transport that is carried out by more than one (multimodal) transport vehicle and does not necessarily have to be seaway during the transport process. It is regulated by freight brokers or operators called "Combined Transport Operators".

The transport agent or the first carrier is obliged to compensate all damage after receiving the goods until they deliver it. This bill of lading is considered as "Negotiable Document". It represents ownership of the goods and is transferable by endorsement and representation.

6. Liner Bill of Lading

It is used in transportation with scheduled voyages. Every detail, from the departure/arrival times to the ports they will call and the ports they will dock at, is specific and regular on the ships that make scheduled voyages. In addition, when they become a party to a treaty, they benefit from the common provisions and facilities of that treaty. They are preferred for safe transportation. CIF is preferred by the exporter loading and the importer receiving FOB.

Ship companies operating on the same line form a union and determine a common fee for issues such as loading, unloading, freight and stowage. This process is called “Liner Terms”.

7. Tanker Bill of Lading  

These are bills of lading issued for tankers used for the transport of crude oil, liquid fuel and chemicals. Due to the transportation of bulk / liquid cargo, it carries special phrases and conditions according to the requirements of the work.

8. Captain's Receipt – Mate's Receipt

It consists of a receipt for the goods loaded on the ship. Since it does not represent the goods, it does not give authority to dispose of the goods. The bill of lading is a temporary document until it is issued. The shipper replaces this document with the bill of lading by submitting it to the ship agency. It can be used instead of bill of lading for purchase and sale transactions between companies in the same group in non-stop shipments.