Mr Old Man Payment Q&A Missing Signature on Air Waybill — Is It a Discrepancy? Let’s Ask UCP 600 Article 23 By Mr Old Man Posted on 4 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 When it comes to checking transport documents under a letter of credit, sometimes the devil is in the signature box. A common situation arises where the same company acts both as agent for the shipper and the carrier — but only signs in one spot. Does that fly under UCP 600 rules? Or is it grounds for a discrepancy? Let’s take a closer look at a recent question from a trade professional and unpack the requirements of Article 23. Missing Signature on Air Waybill — Is It a Discrepancy? Let’s Ask UCP 600 Article 23 QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, Greetings. Request your expert opinion on the below query. Shipper in AWB: ABC Co Ltd. PQR Ltd has signed in the “Signature of Shipper or his agent” column as: PQR Ltd as agents for ABC Below, there’s another field titled “Signature of Carrier or his Agent.” Here, PQR Ltd is identified as agent for Carrier, but they did not sign in that box. In such a scenario, can we raise a discrepancy as AWB not signed? Please advise. Regards, Priya ___________ ANSWER Hi Priya, Thank you for your question. Without seeing the actual AWB, I can only answer based on the information you provided. In practice, the same party (in this case, PQR Ltd) may act both as Agent for the Shipper and Agent for the Carrier. However, to comply with UCP 600 Article 23(a)(i), the air transport document must be signed by the carrier or a named agent on behalf of the carrier. From your description: PQR Ltd has signed in the box for “Signature of Shipper or his Agent” — clearly as agent for ABC Co. Ltd. In the box for “Signature of Carrier or his Agent”, PQR Ltd is identified as agent for the carrier but did not sign. In this case, the AWB would be discrepant under UCP 600 Article 23(a)(i) because it lacks a valid signature on behalf of the carrier. Merely being named is not sufficient — a signature is required. Conclusion: Yes, you may raise a discrepancy: AWB not signed on behalf of carrier – UCP 600 Article 23(a)(i). Best regards, Mr. Old Man