Logistics, Trade Administration and Supply Chain

The transportation user has a wide range of services at his or her disposal that revolve around the five basic modes: water, rail, truck, air and pipeline. A transport service is a set of performance characteristics purchased at a given price and the variety of transport service is almost limitless. The five modes may be used in combination e.g. piggyback or container movement; transportation agencies, shippers' association and brokers may be used to facilitate these services; small shipment carriers like, UPS or FEDEX may be used for their efficiency in handling small packages or a single transportation mode may be used exclusively. From among these service choices, the user selects a service or combination of services that provides the best balance between the quality of service offered and the cost of that service. The task of service-choice selection is not as forbidding as it first appears because circumstances surrounding a particular shipping situation often reduce the c...

The Packing List is a document prepared by the shipper listing all kinds and quantities of merchandise in a particular shipment. A copy of packing list is often attached to the shipment itself and another copy send directly to the consignee to assist in checking the shipment upon received. In other words, the packing list is also called a bill of parcels. The packing list includes the following elements: Name and address of the seller/shipper/consignor, Name and address of the buyer/consignee, Issuance date, Invoice number, Sales order or contract number, Quantity and description of the goods, Shipping details including weight of the goods, number of packages, shipping marks and shipping numbers, Quantity and description of contents of each package, cartons, crate or container, Any other information as required in the sales contract or documentary credit e.g. country of origin. The packing list is a more detailed version of the commercial invoice but without the price...

The Inspection Certificate is a document issued by an authority indicating the goods have been inspected, particularly in accordance to a set of industry, customer, government or carrier specifications, prior to shipments and the results of the inspection. Inspection Certificates are generally obtained from a neutral testing organizations e.g. either a government entity or independent surveying company. In some cases, the inspection certificate can come from the manufacturer or shipper but not from the forwarder or logistics company. An Inspection Certificate should include the following details: Details, particularly of the consignor, consignee and the goods' description for the said shipment and other information to be in conformity with other documents e.g. documentary credit, commercial invoice, packing list, etc. Date of the inspection being made. Statement of sampling methodology. Statement of the results of the inspection. The name, signature and/or stamp or se...

The Certificate of Insurance is a document indicating the type and amount of insurance coverage in force on a particular shipment. In documentary credit transaction, the certificate of insurance is used to assure the consignee that insurance is provided to cover the loss of or damage to the cargo while in transit. A complete certificate of insurance should include the following elements: The name of the insurance company, Insurance policy number, Description of the merchandise insured, Points of origin and destination of the shipment. Coverage is indicated by the terms of sale. For example, for goods sold "FOB", coverage commences once the cargo is on board the vessel and continues until the consignee takes possession at either at the seaport or in-land port of destination, Conditions of coverage, exclusions and deductible, if applicable, A signature by the insurance carrier, underwriter or agent for the same, Indication that the cover is effective at the latest ...

An air waybill is a non-negotiable transport document covering transport of cargo from airport to airport. A complete air waybill contains the following criteria: Name of carrier with a signature identified as that of carrier or named agent for and/or on behalf of the carrier, An indication that the goods have been accepted for carriage as well as the date of issuance or date of loading, In a documentary letter of credit, an indication of the actual date of dispatch if required by the documentary letter of credit or if the actual date of dispatch is not required by the credit, the issuance date of the document is deemed to be the shipment date, An indication of the airport of departure and the destined airport, Appears on its face to be the original for consignor/shipper, Terms and conditions of carriage or a reference to the terms and conditions of carriage in another source or document, Meets any other stipulation of the sales contract or documentary letter of credit. C...

A non-negotiable sea waybill is a transport document covering port-to-port shipments. It is not a title document, is not negotiable and cannot be endorsed. A complete non-negotiable sea waybill contains the following elements: Name of the carrier with a signature identified as that of carrier, or ship's master, or agent or on behalf of either the carrier or the ship's master An indication or notation that the goods have been loaded on board or shipped on a named vessel. also, the date of issuance or date of loading An indication of the port of loading and the port of discharge as specified in the original sales contract or documentary credit A sole original or if issued in multiple originals, the full set of originals The terms and conditions of carriage or a reference to the terms and conditions of carriage in another source or document In a documentary letter of credit, no indication that the document is subject to a charter party and/or an indication that the nam...

The commercial invoice is the key accounting document describing the commercial transaction between the buyer and the seller. The commercial invoice includes the following elements: Name and address of the seller Name and address of the buyer Date of issuance Invoice number Order or contract number Purchase order number Quantity and description of the goods Unit price, total price, other agreed upon charges and total invoice amount stated in the currency of the contract or letter of credit Terms of delivery and payment Shipping details, including weight of the goods, number of packages and shipping marks Authorised signature of the company representative filling out the form Any other information as required in the sales contract or letter of credit Cautions and Notes for Documentary Letters of Credit In transactions involving a documentary letter of credit, it is vitally important that the description of the goods in the commercial invoice correspond precisely...

Documents play a key role in international transactions. Both buyers and sellers need documents for bookkeeping, accounting, taxation, export and import formalities, as well as making payments using letters of credit and other documentary payment methods. This segment will give some examples of the most commonly used documents in the international trade. It is not an exhaustive listing. Specialized trades, special circumstances and different countries of origin and destination may require additional documentation. Transaction Documents The key transaction document is the invoice or commercial invoice. This document is used by all parties to the transaction for accounting and bookkeeping purposes. It is also required for export and import formalities as well as most banking and payment procedures. Export Documents These are documents required by the customs or national export authority of the country of export and vary greatly from country to country. Included are licenses,...

Rail carriers must carry out a comprehensive assessment of their security practices based on the C-TPAT minimum security criteria. Recognizing that rail carriers do not control their shippers and have a common carrier obligation to transport goods tendered to them, rail carriers shall work with their shippers on their security practices as set forth in these criteria. These minimum security criteria are fundamentally designed to be the building blocks for rail carriers to institute effective security practices designed to optimize supply chain performance to mitigate the risk of loss, theft and contraband smuggling that could potentially introduce terrorists and implements of terrorism into the global supply chain sector. Rail carriers should periodically assess their degree of vulnerability to risk and should prescribe security measures to strength or adjust their security posture to prevent security breaches and internal conspiracies. The determination and scope of criminal el...

Sea carriers must have written and verifiable procedures for the screening of carrier's agents and other service providers contracted to provide transportation services for the carrier. Sea carriers also must have screening procedures for new customers, beyond financial soundness issues to include indicators of whether the customer appears to be a legitimate business and/or posses a security risk. Sea carriers shall also have procedures to review their customer's requests that could affect the safety of the vessel or the cargo or otherwise raise significant security questions, including unusual customer demands, such as specific stowage placement onboard the vessel (beyond a request for below deck or on deck stowage). Security procedures Sea carriers must have written or web-based procedures for screening of new customers to whom they issue bills of lading, which identify specific factors or practices, the presence of which would trigger additional scrutiny by the sea ...

Container integrity must be maintained to protect against the introduction of unauthorized materials and/or persons. At the point of staffing, procedures must be in place to properly seal and maintain the integrity of the shipping containers. A high security seal must be affixed to all loaded containers bound for the United States. All seals must meet or exceed the current PAS ISO 17712 standards for high security seals. Container Inspections Procedures must be in place to verify the physical integrity of the container structure prior to stuffing, to include the reliability of the locking mechanism of the doors. A 7-point checklist or inspection process is recommended for all containers based on the following circumstances: Front Wall Left Side Right Side Floor Ceiling/Roof Inside/Outside Doors Outside/Undercarriage Container Seals Written procedures must also elaborate how seals are to be controlled and affixed to the laden containers, to include procedures for...