Cargo moves on paper. Get the paper wrong and the box sits, accruing storage, while everyone argues.
01The Bill of Lading does three jobs
- Receipt. The carrier acknowledges it received the goods in apparent good order.
- Evidence of the contract of carriage. The terms on the reverse govern liability.
- Document of title — but only if it is negotiable ("to order"). Whoever holds an endorsed original original can claim the cargo.
That third job is why originals are handled like cash. A straight (non-negotiable) B/L consigned to a named party is not a title document; a "to order" B/L is.
02Master vs House
- Master B/L (MBL) — issued by the shipping line, from us (or our agent) to our destination agent.
- House B/L (HBL) — issued by us as NVOCC, from the actual shipper to the actual consignee.
The client sees the House. The line sees the Master. Both must agree on cargo description, weight, and marks, or destination customs will query it.
03Air Waybill
The AWB is never a document of title. Cargo is released to the named consignee on identification, full stop. This is why you never consign an air shipment to the buyer when payment is not secured — once it is airborne, control is gone. Consign to the bank or to your destination agent instead.
04Commercial invoice
This is the customs valuation document. It must state:
- Full seller and buyer names and addresses
- A clear goods description — not just "spare parts"
- Quantity, unit price, total
- Currency
- Incoterm and named place (e.g. "FOB Laem Chabang")
- Country of origin
05Packing list
Carton-by-carton: marks, numbers, contents, net weight, gross weight, dimensions. Customs uses it to target an inspection; the warehouse uses it to check receipt; the claims adjuster uses it when something is short. It must reconcile with the invoice exactly.
06Certificate of Origin
Proves where goods were made, which determines the duty rate.
- Ordinary CO — general proof of origin, issued by a chamber of commerce.
- Preferential CO — unlocks a reduced or zero tariff under a trade agreement. Form D for ASEAN/ATIGA, Form E for ASEAN–China, Form AK for ASEAN–Korea, Form AJ for ASEAN–Japan, and so on.
A preferential CO is only valid if the goods actually meet the origin rule — wholly obtained, a change in tariff classification, or a regional value content threshold (commonly 40%). Claiming preference on goods that do not qualify means retroactive duty plus penalties at destination, assessed against the importer.
07What actually goes wrong
| Failure | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Consignee name differs between invoice and B/L | Customs rejection, amendment fee |
| Weight on B/L ≠ weight on VGM filing | Container not loaded |
| Original B/L couriered late | Cargo held, demurrage from day one |
| HS code guessed rather than classified | Under- or over-payment, later audit |
| Preferential CO claimed without meeting the rule | Retroactive duty and penalty at destination |
Check documents against each other before release, not after a query. Five minutes of cross-checking saves a week.