Mr Old Man Payment Q&A Does a Bill of Lading Have to Show Trade Terms like CIF? By Mr Old Man Posted on 11 hours ago 3 min read 0 0 5 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr QUESTION Dear Sir I have one small doubt about Description of Goods in BL. The L/C shows Description of Goods as below. +MEDICAL EQUIPMENTS MODEL: CX200NFJ +AS PER P/I NO. 565221 DATED 15-12-2024 H.S CODE 9004100 +CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT +INCOTERMS 2020 The Liner has come back to us stating that they cannot mention “CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT INCOTERMS 2020” in the BL. Will this be a Discrepancy? Also, which clause from ISBP we can refer to clarify to the bank if they ever point a Discrepancy for this. Also, we will show the Description of Goods in other Documents which are Invoice, PL, Insurance Mirror Image of the L/C Description of Goods. Will it be a Discrepancy as the BL will not show “CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT INCOTERMS 2020” Regards Mike — ANSWER Hi Mike, Thank you for your question. Here’s my response: Based on your L/C, the description of goods includes the trade term “CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT INCOTERMS 2020.” While this appears as part of the goods description in the credit, it’s important to understand how it applies to each document type: According to ISBP 821 paragraph C9, when a trade term forms part of the goods description in the credit, it must appear in the invoice as stated. For transport documents such as the bill of lading, ISBP paragraph E22 clarifies that the description of goods may be stated in general terms, provided it does not conflict with the L/C. In practice, it is common that bills of lading do not reflect trade terms like CIF, even when mentioned in the credit. The absence of “CIF ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT, EGYPT INCOTERMS 2020” in the B/L will not be treated as a discrepancy, as long as the B/L does not include any information that contradicts the credit. So, to answer your question: No, this will not be a discrepancy under UCP 600 or ISBP 821. You can refer to ISBP paragraphs C9 (for the invoice) and E22 (for the B/L) if needed to clarify with the bank. Best regards, Mr. Old Man