Important Types Of Sea Transport Documents To Know

1. What is a sea transport document?

A bill of lading is considered a document that the carrier prepares, signs, and issues for the carriage of goods by sea and delivers to the shipper. In particular, freight in logistics is responsible for confirming the receipt of certain goods. Next, we will commit to delivering those goods by ship to the person who has the right to receive them at the port.

The bill of lading plays an important role in many fields; it has circulation related to many parties. Each shipping company will have its own form of bill of lading, showing the shipping terms and conditions of that company.

2. Current types of sea transport documents

Type of sea transport documents are important legal documents and indispensable in the process of transporting goods by sea. Therefore, let's learn more about these types of documents.

2.1. Customs documents

Customs documents are the first important documents to prepare when exporting or importing goods. Especially for goods shipped abroad. According to customs regulations, goods owners must present the following documents when goods move cross-country:

• 01 original export approval document from the Ministry of Trade
• 02 original copies of the customs declaration of exported goods
  • A customs declaration is a document presented by the goods owner or vehicle owner to the customs authority before goods or vehicles are exported or imported through the national territory.
• 1 copy of the foreign trade contract
  • A foreign trade sales contract is a written agreement between the buyer and the seller in two different countries regarding the purchase and sale of goods.
• 01 business registration certificate and business code registration certificate
  • A business registration certificate is a document that records the date of the first business registration. This is the basis for determining whether a business operates legally.
  • A business code registration certificate is a series of numbers created by the national information system regarding business registration. Each business has only one unique code that cannot be reissued to another business.
• 02 original copies of detailed goods declaration
  • This is a detailed list of goods in the package to make checking for goods more convenient. It also has the effect of supplementing the invoice when the shipment includes many types of goods with different names.

2.2. Documentation with the port and vessel

In shipping goods by sea, freight forwarders need to review documents to strictly control goods during the loading process, including:

• Shipping company loading instructions

  • A document issued by the shipper to the transport company and port management agency, providing complete information about the goods, was sent to the port for loading on board the ship at the request of the shipper.
• Captain's receipt
  • A document issued by the mate in charge of cargo to the consignor or cargo owner confirming that the ship has received all goods.
• Sea bill of lading
  • A document certifying the carriage of goods by sea is issued by the carrier or his representative to the shipper after loading the goods on the ship or after the goods have been received. The ocean bill of lading is valid as a delivery receipt and is evidence of entering into a transport contract.
• Cargo declaration
  • A list of products loaded onto ships for transport to other ports was prepared by the agent at the loading port. The cargo manifest must be prepared immediately after loading. It can also be prepared while preparing to sign the bill of lading, as long as it is completed before the ship leaves the port.
• Inventory sheet
  • As a document proving the quantity of goods loaded on the ship, a copy of this form will be given to the mate in charge of the goods for safekeeping. It is also necessary for claims regarding loss of goods. transformed later.
• Cargo arrangement diagram
  • A map that describes how goods are arranged on the ship, using different symbols to distinguish each type of goods and destination port.

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2.3. Other documents

In addition to the documents that need to be presented to customs and transactions with ports and ships, there are also documents related to goods, insurance, and payments. Specifically:

• Certificate of origin
  • A legally valid document, issued by a competent authority of the exporting country, certifying the origin of goods.
• Sales invoice
  • An important document in a sale transaction is drawn up by the seller to request that the buyer pay the amount stated on the invoice. The purchase invoice clearly states information about the goods, unit price, total value, and delivery conditions.
• Packing slips
  • Is a detailed list of goods contained in a package (box). The packing slip is usually attached to the outside of the package, so the buyer can easily find it. The contents of the packing slip include:
    • Number and date of invoice
    • Full names of the seller and buyer
    • Addresses of the two transaction parties
    • Loading and unloading ports
    • Train name, trip number
    • Goods information such as quantity, weight, and volume
• Certificate of quantity/weight
  • A document was drawn up by the exporter and issued to the importer to determine the exact quantity and volume of goods delivered.
• Insurance documents
  • A certificate issued by the insurance company to import and export units confirms that the goods are insured.

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3. Some types of documents arise in the delivery of imported goods

During the process of delivering imported goods, there are a number of important documents that businesses need to pay attention to fully preparing, such as:

• Record of final settlement of goods received with the ship

• Record of damaged and broken goods
• Minutes of the declaration of excess goods
• Minutes of weight assessment
• Minutes of quality assessment
• Inspection minutes of the insurance company
• Complaining letter
• Letter of protest

4. How are sea transport documents regulated?

Pursuant to Article 148 of the Vietnam Maritime Code 2015, shipping documents are prescribed as follows:

• Transport documents include bills of lading, intermodal bills of lading, ocean waybills, and other transport documents. Sample bills of lading and intermodal bills of lading are issued by enterprises and must be sent and kept at maritime state management agencies.
• A bill of lading is a transport document that is evidence that the carrier has received goods in quantity, type, and condition as stated in the bill of lading for transportation to the place of delivery; it is evidence of ownership of goods; it is used to dispose of or receive goods; and it is evidence of a contract to transport goods by sea.
• A bill of lading by sea is a document clearly stating that at least two people transport goods by sea.
• The sea waybill is proof of full receipt of goods and is the legal basis of the contract for the transport of goods by sea. In particular, this type of document is not transferable.
• Other transport documents include the contents and values negotiated and agreed upon in advance by the carrier and the charterer.

5. How is the price of shipping services by sea determined?

• The sea freight rate is the amount of money paid by the charterer to the carrier according to the sea transport contract.
• A sea freight surcharge (if any) is an additional amount paid to the carrier in addition to the sea freight price.
• Enterprises list sea freight rates according to the law on prices and post-sea freight surcharges according to the government's regulations.
• In addition, there are freight rates in cases of damaged goods as prescribed in Article 158 of the 2015 Vietnam Maritime Code as follows:
  • In case the goods are lost due to an accident occurring during the ship's voyage, regardless of the cause, the freight fee will be waived; if collected, it will be refunded. The carrier is only allowed to collect freight rates based on the actual distance when the goods are saved or returned.
  • In case the goods are damaged or lost due to specific characteristics or the goods are live animals that die during transportation, the carrier still has the right to collect the full freight charge.

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6. Payment method for shipping services by sea

When receiving the goods, the consignee is obliged to pay the carrier the shipping fee and other fees stated on the bill of lading, if such amounts have not been paid.

• The carrier has the right to refuse delivery and has the right to retain the goods if the shipper and consignee have not fully paid the debt or have not been adequately guaranteed.

• These debts include transportation fees, other fees as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article, and general average costs and salvage wages allocated to the goods.
• Debts not paid on time will be charged interest at the applicable interest rate at the relevant transaction bank.

Above is all the information about the type of sea transport documents that you can refer to. Dolphin Sea Air hopes this will be useful information for you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us via our hotline or website.

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