Amendment of weight in HBL

Posted on 10 April 2023 Category : Export

The information provided here is part of Online export import training guide

HBL - House Bill of lading is issued by a freight forwarder who act as a carrier on receipt of goods from shipper after completion of necessary export customs formalities. Once after releasing House Bill of Lading, the said document is sent to overseas buyer through the shipper’s bank. Normally, once after releasing house bill of lading, the supplier sends a copy to consignee electronically, either by mail or fax.
The supplier may come to know the discrepancy of weight in house bill of lading once after releasing HBL by the carrier. If the discrepancy of weight in House Bill of lading is found before submitting documents with supplier’s bank, the amendment of weight in HBL can be effected by submitting all originals with the freight forwarder at load port who issued HBL. The freight forwarder who carries goods can amend weight in house bill of lading only on the basis of export shipping documents authorized by customs authorities.

So, if any details of addition, deletion, or correction is subjected to the declaration by exporter in shipping documents. If weight in export shipping documents are not matching with the weight to be amended, the carrier can not amend house bill of lading. In such cases, exporter or his customs broker need to amend the weight in said shipping documents with customs firstly and after completion of such amendment of weight in shipping bill, he can approach freight forwarder to amend weight in House Bill of Lading accordingly.

If an amendment of weight in HBL is required once after submitting original house bill of lading with shipper’s bank, the overseas buyer can amend the said original bill of lading once after receiving HBL from his bank through shipper’s bank. At this time, the consignee need to approach the freight forwarder’s counter part office at consignee’s location. The carrier (freight forwarder) at consignee’s location needs a ‘No Objection’ letter or message to amend weight in house bill of lading from his counter part at load port who issued House Bill of Lading. In turn, the freight forwarder at load port confirms the details of weight to his counterpart at destination regarding amendment of HBL. The freight forwarder at load port provides ‘no objection’ up to the extent of information on weight available in export shipping bill submitted by exporter. If consignee needs to amend weight other than the details declared in export shipping bill, the exporter (shipper) can amend weight in shipping bill at load port with customs and submit such amended shipping bill with freight forwarder, so as to enable him to send a ‘no objection’ to amend weight to include in house bill of lading.

The above information is a part of Import Export course online

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