Earliest Date Rules: Which Shipment Date Counts for Presentation under ISBP 821?

Intro:

In documentary credit practice, shipment dates play a critical role in determining whether a presentation is timely. Questions often arise when multiple charter party bills of lading are involved, especially when they carry different shipment dates under a single presentation. Rohini recently wrote in with a scenario on partial shipments and differing dates of shipment. Let’s look at the question—and the answer through the lens of ISBP 821.

 QUESTION

Dear Mr. Old Man,

LC allows partial shipment

Same vessel and voyage used in 4 Charter party BLs covering different ports of discharge under one presentation

Each Presented BL incorporates different dates 1st August, 3rd August, 10 Aug and15th August.  Which date to be taken for late presentation determination?

My view: it is the earliest i.e. 1st Aug.

Since it is the same vessel for a different journey.

Is the understanding correct?

Regards

Rohini

—-

ANSWER

Hi Rohini,

According to ISBP 821, paragraph G7(c), when partial shipment is allowed and more than one set of original charter party bills of lading are presented as part of a single presentation under one covering schedule or letter, and they show different shipment dates—whether on different vessels or on the same vessel for different voyages—the earliest of these dates must be used to calculate the presentation period. Each date must also fall on or before the latest shipment date stated in the credit.

In your case, since the LC allows partial shipments and four sets of original CPBLs are presented under one schedule, each showing different shipment dates on the same vessel but different voyages, the earliest date—1 August—will be taken for the calculation of the presentation period.

So yes, your understanding is correct.

Best regards,

Mr. Old Man