Glossary
What is a sea waybill?
A sea waybill is a non-negotiable transport document that evidences the contract of carriage and receipt of the goods, but is not a document of title. The named consignee takes delivery on proof of identity, without surrendering an original. |
Sea waybill vs bill of lading
A bill of lading is a document of title whoever holds the original controls the goods, and it can be traded while the cargo is still at sea. A sea waybill cannot be. Delivery goes to the named consignee only. That makes it faster and safer against loss, but unusable where goods must be sold in transit or a bank needs title as security.
What is a sea waybill used for?
- Movements between related companies, where title never needs to change hands
- Open-account trade with no letter of credit involved
- Short sea routes where the vessel arrives before paper could
- Any shipment where speed of release beats negotiability
Sea waybill vs telex release
A telex release is a workaround for a bill of lading: originals are surrendered at origin and the carrier authorises release at destination. A sea waybill removes the need entirely, because no original ever existed. The CMI Uniform Rules for Sea Waybills, adopted in 1990, provide the standard framework.
iCustoms reads sea waybills and bills of lading alike, mapping consignment references straight to your entry.
