Ocean bills of lading can be classified from different perspectives. The following are several commonly used classifications.
(1) According to whether the goods have been loaded on board, they are divided into two types: On Board B/L and Received-for Shipment B/L.
On Board B/L refers to the bill of lading issued by the carrier after the goods have been loaded on the designated ship. The On Board B/L must indicate in writing that the goods have been loaded on or shipped on a named vessel, and the date of issuance of the bill of lading is the date of shipment.
Received-for Shipment B/L refers to the bill of lading issued by the carrier after the consignment of goods has been received and is waiting for shipment. In the case of issuing a Received-for Shipment B/L, the shipper can exchange it for a Shipped B/L after the goods are loaded on board; or the carrier or its agent can annotate on the Received-for Shipment B/L that the goods have been loaded on a named vessel and the date of shipment, and sign it to make it a Shipped B/L. According to international trade practices, unless otherwise agreed, the seller is obliged to submit a shipped bill of lading to the buyer.
(2) According to whether the bill of lading has any negative remarks, it is divided into two types: clean bill of lading (Clean B/L) and foul bill of lading (Foul B/L). A clean bill of lading means that the goods are “in good condition” when loaded on the ship, and the carrier has not added any remarks on the bill of lading regarding damage to the goods or poor packaging. A foul bill of lading means that the carrier has added remarks on the bill of lading regarding the surface condition or packaging of the goods. According to international trade practices, unless otherwise agreed, the seller is obliged to submit a clean bill of lading. A clean bill of lading is also one of the basic conditions that must be met when a bill of lading is transferred.
(3) According to whether the bill of lading can be circulated and transferred, it can be divided into three types: “straight bill of lading”, “bearer bill of lading” and “order bill of lading”.
(4) According to the mode of transportation, it can be divided into three types: “through bill of lading”, “transshipment bill of lading” and “through transport bill of lading”.
(5) According to the different modes of ship operation, it can be divided into “liner bill of lading” and “charter party bill of lading”.
A liner bill of lading (Linner B/L) refers to a bill of lading issued to a shipper by a liner company after the liner company carries the goods. A charter party bill of lading (Charter Party B/L) refers to a bill of lading issued by a carrier in accordance with a charter party. The bill of lading usually states “all terms, clauses and exemptions are subject to the terms of the charter party”. This type of bill of lading is subject to the terms of the charter party. When a bank or buyer accepts this type of bill of lading, it often requires the seller to provide a copy of the charter party.
(6) According to the complexity of the bill of lading, it can be divided into two types: full form bill of lading and shortened form bill of lading.
A full form bill of lading (Long Form B/L), also known as a “complex form bill of lading”, refers to a bill of lading that not only has the content on the front of the bill of lading, but also lists detailed terms of the rights and obligations of the carrier and the shipper on the back of the bill of lading. Short Form B/L, also known as “Simple Form B/L”, refers to a bill of lading that has no clauses on the back and only lists the mandatory items on the front. This type of bill of lading is usually printed with the words “The receipt, storage, transportation and freight of the goods in this bill of lading shall be handled in accordance with the terms and conditions on the full form bill of lading of our company.”
(7) According to the effectiveness of the bill of lading, it can be divided into “original bill of lading” and “duplicate bill of lading”.
Original B/L refers to a bill of lading signed and stamped by the carrier, the captain or his agent and marked with the date of issuance. This type of bill of lading is a legally valid document. The word “Original” must be marked on the original bill of lading. The original bill of lading is usually issued in two or three copies (some are only issued in one copy). After any one of the copies is used to pick up the goods, the remaining copies will be invalid. In order to prevent others from claiming the goods, the buyer and the bank usually require the seller to provide all the original bills of lading issued by the shipping company, which is the so-called “full set” of bills of lading.
Copy B/L refers to a bill of lading that is not signed or sealed by the carrier, captain or his agent, and is only for reference. The copy bill of lading is generally marked with the words “Copy” or “Non-Negotiable”, and the copy bill of lading shall not be marked with the words “original”.