Bill of lading
Αυτό το λήμμα δεν έχει μεταφραστεί ακόμη και εμφανίζεται στα αγγλικά.
The bill of lading (B/L) is the central document of carriage of goods by sea. It performs three functions at once:
- Receipt — it acknowledges that the carrier has received the cargo in the condition described (“clean on board” if without remarks).
- Evidence of the contract of carriage — between the shipper and the carrier, on the terms printed or incorporated on the bill.
- Document of title — possession of an original negotiable bill gives the right to demand delivery of the goods, which is what allows cargo to be bought, sold, and financed while at sea.
Bills may be negotiable (“to order”, transferred by endorsement) or straight (naming a specific consignee). Delivering cargo without production of an original bill exposes the carrier to misdelivery claims, which is why letters of indemnity are so common in trades where the documents travel slower than the ship.
International liability regimes — the Hague, Hague-Visby, and Hamburg Rules, and the not-yet-in-force Rotterdam Rules — govern the carrier’s responsibilities under bills of lading. Electronic bills of lading, long discussed, gained real momentum after the 2023 adoption of the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act.