Request for freight rates and sailings

MARINE TRANSPORTATION

FOCUS 1. Read and discuss the following lead-in and letters.

LEAD-IN

	Most goods nowadays have to go by ship.   There are various types of vessels available to carry different goods.   Passenger liners are ships that follow scheduled routes and concentrate on passenger services, but also carry cargo.   Passenger cargo vessels concentrate on cargoes, offer more facilities for loading and unloading, but carry few passengers.   Trampstravel anywhere in the world on unscheduled routes, picking up any cargo and delivering it.   Tankers are usually oil carriers, and are like bulk carriers which transport bulk consignments such as grain, wheat and ores.   Container vessels offer facilities to move containers from one country to another, and have special lifting gear and storage space for the huge steel boxes they transport.   Roll-on roll-off ferries are vessels which allow cars and trucks to drive on at one port and off at another without having to load and unload their freight.   There are also barges, large flat-bottomed boats, which transport goods inland along canals and waterways, and lighters which do the same work as a barge, or are used for taking goods from a port out to a ship, or vice versa.

	The shipowners may belong to a shipping conference and will charge fixed rates for transporting goods.   Other vessels can be chartered, on a time basis (time charter covers a period of time) or voyage basis (voyage charter covers the carriage of goods from one specified port to another) or on a mixed charter, through shipbrokers (e.g. on the Baltic exchange) who will negotiate rates for their clients. Voyage charter charges are calculated on the tonnage value of the cargo. Time charter charges are calculated on the tonnage of the ship.   The main documents used in shipping are the following.   The contract between the shipowner and the charterer is called the charter party.   Sailing cards give particulars of loading and sailing dates.   A freight account is an invoice sent by the shipping company to the exporter stating their charges.   Once the goods are received on the dock, a shipping note with a receipt, is handed to the Superintendent of the docks, advising him that the goods are to be shipped. A dock receipt (sometimes called a wharfinger’s receipt), which is a receipt issued for cargo deposited at dock warehouses, will be returned to the consignor confirming that the goods are stored and awaiting shipment.   Tally is the record or list of cargo loaded or discharged; it is checked by a tally clerk, therefore to tally means to be correct.

	Once the goods are on board the ship, a mate’s receipt may be sent, acknowledging that the goods have been loaded. The mate’s receipt is often sent when the consignment is loaded directly, and serves as a document of the title until the bill of lading is ready.   The bill of lading is the most important document in shipping as it is a document of legal title to the consignment. Moreover, it is a receipt from shipowners giving details of the shipment in question and the conditions under which they accept it: so it is a contract. The words “to order” written on it mean that it is a negotiable instrument and can be traded. In this case it will be endorsed on the back by the exporter and if the endorsement is blank there will be no restrictions on ownership.   Once the bill has been signed by the master of the vessel, it is known as a shipped bill of lading or “shipped on board”, which means that the goods have been loaded on board and the shipping company will now accept responsibility in accordance with the clauses on the back of the document. Shipped bills are usually required in transactions involving payment through a bank. Bills are marked “clean” to indicate that the goods were taken on board in “the like good order and condition”. Dirty, claused, foul or unclean B/L indicates that on inspection something wrong was found with the consignment, e.g. packing, or the goods were damaged. Thus a clause is added to the BL by the shipowners specifying the discrepancy. This statement protects the shipping company from claims that they were responsible for the damage or bad condition of the consignment.

	Forwarding agents Carriage by sea can be a complicated business, since the exporter and the importer both have to observe a variety of rules and regulations which involve a great deal of paperwork.   That is why the exporter often applies to forwarding agents to arrange both import and export shipments. In case of the former forwarding agents collect the consignment, arrange shipment, and if required, packing, and handle all documentation including making out the bill of lading, obtain insurance, send commercial invoices and pay the shipping company for their clients.   They also inform the importer's forwarding agent that the shipment is on its way by sending an advice note, and he, in turn, will inform his client, send the goods on to him, or arrange for them to be stored until collected. Many forwarding agents in importing countries also act as clearing agents ensuring that the goods are cleared through the customs and are sent to the importer.   Forwarding agents handle many shipments and they collect consignments for the same destination and get competitive "groupage rates" for sending a lot of consignments in one shipment.

REQUEST FOR FREIGHT RATES AND SAILINGS

JV SINGRUSTORG PO 789-99 Magenta Plaza 67-K8 Singapore
	Our ref. Your ref.   North Eastern Shipping Lines 3 July, 20__ 31-45 Orchard Road Singapore   Dear Sirs,   We are about to make up an order for our customer. We intend to ship a consignment of office equipment from Singapore to Vladivostok. The consignment consists of 50 NG 2010 Computers, 50 HP TJ Printers, 50 QU Copiers and special furniture and accessorieswhich have been packed into 10 wooden crates marked Vladivostok measuring 3 x 2 x 2 metres and weighing 560 kg each. The invoice value is $456,000.00.   Could you please inform us which vessels are available to reach Vladivostok before September, 1, and kindly quote us freight rates for the voyage.   We shall also be glad to know time of transit and frequency of sailings, and whether cargo space must be reserved; if so, please send us the necessary application forms. Please advise us of the loading dates and let us know on which day the ship closes for cargo.   Shipped, clean Bs/L, in a set of 3, are to be made out “to order”, and are required by 22 August for delivery to Delta Bank, under the requirements of a LC.   Your prompt reply will be appreciated.   Yours faithfully, Alice Donnik Alice Donnik Senior Sales Manager

1.2 SHIPPING COMPANY’S REPLY

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16