What are the documentation prepared by the various parties involved in a sea freight shipment..??

An interesting question posed by a reader of this blog..

1. what are the documents prepared by clearing and forwarding agent ?
2. what are the documents  prepared by the exporter and importer ?
3. what are the documents prepared by shipping company ? 

There are many documents that need to be prepared by the various parties involved, in order to effect a shipment..

• Exporter – prepare Purchase Order, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin or similar certificates, Shipping Instructions for the Bill of Lading
• Freight Forwarders – prepare Delivery Notes, Forwarders Cargo Receipt, Shipping Instructions for the Bill of Lading, Marine Insurance, Cargo inspection certificates, hazardous packing declarations
• Clearing Agents – prepare Customs Documentation, Port Documentation, Duty and VAT exemption documents where applicable
• Shipping Lines or their agents – prepare Booking confirmation, container release, prepare or generate Bills of Lading, Manifest, Manifest Correctors, Telex Release, Freight Invoices, Stowage plans, Loading Lists, Dangerous goods manifest, Out of guage manifests and at the discharge port, they will prepare Arrival Notification, Delivery Orders, Discharge lists, Freight invoices
• Haulage companies – prepare TREM cards where haz cargo movements are involved, road permits, overborder permits, port entry documents
• Intermodal operators – prepare documentation for inland haulage, rail movement, road permits
• Surveyors – prepare cargo inspection and survey reports based on what they have been asked to survey
  
• Banks – prepare Letter of Credits, Bill of Exchanges, Suretys, Guarantees
• Insurance – prepare Marine insurance, Cargo insurance and other general insurance policies

These are by no means the full extent of documentation involved in the shipping process.. Depending on the cargo, exporter, importer, bank, destination, shipping line, government etc etc, there may be many more documentation that is required.. But these are the basic documents that are prepared by various entities for a sea-freight shipment..

Apart from the above there are also other entities such as Port, Customs, Excise, Police, Health, Veterinary authorities that are involved with the shipments and they would be preparing their own documentation.. As you can see, a single shipment depends on the co-operation of several entities to make it happen..

If you prepare some documentation that maybe new, please do share the information with the details of what the documentation is and why it is required, for the benefit of all..