Bills of lading · PRACTICAL GUIDE
Bill of Lading Disputes in China
A bill of lading dispute often sits between the sale contract, forwarding instructions and carriage contract. Treating it as a single-document problem can miss the responsible party.
Collect every version
Preserve drafts, originals, sea waybills, surrender or telex-release instructions, booking confirmations and communications about shipper and consignee details.
Establish who issued each document, on whose authority changes were made and whether the cargo was released against the required conditions.
Map document to loss
A documentary error does not automatically establish the whole claimed loss. Identify the duty breached, the causal link, available defences and any liability limit.
Prompt notice and preservation are especially important where cargo location, release status or security measures may still change.
Initial document checklist
- All B/L versions
- Release instructions
- Booking records
- Sale contract
- Proof of loss and notice
