Bill of Landing (B/L)

B/L is a common abbreviation that stands for the English expression ‘Bill of Landing’. In German commercial law, the term bill of lading is used for this.

The bill of lading is a document in which the carrier confirms receipt of the goods or goods to the shipper and promises to deliver them as intended. The form, content and effects of bills of lading are regulated in detail in the Commercial Code (§§ 513 ff HGB). A basic distinction is made between on-board and takeover bills of lading: The on-board B/L (sea freight) bill of lading confirms that the goods have been loaded on board a ship. On-board bills of lading are usually required in connection with letters of credit (L/C). With the takeover bill of lading – received for shipment B/L (sea freight) – only the takeover of the load is certified, without the loading having already taken place.

Under commercial law, a bill of lading represents a commodity security that stands for the documented goods. It usually identifies an authorized recipient as the owner and certifies a corresponding promise of delivery by the carrier. A bill of lading can be sold, transferred or pledged to a third party as a security. It goes further than a conventional bill of lading, which is only an accompanying document. The handover of the bill of lading can replace the handover of goods. In this context one also speaks of a traditional paper.

The bill of lading serves, among other things, as a receipt with which the carrier confirms acceptance of the load for carriage. For liner voyages, the bill of lading often acts as evidence of the sea freight contract. The conditions contained in the document then apply to the recipient. In the case of chartered trips, the conditions are usually regulated in the charter party. The bill of lading then only contains a cross-reference.