Notify Party vs. Applicant’s Name and Address on a Bill of Lading

Intro

In documentary credit practice, it’s not unusual to see slight variations in how applicant details are reflected on a bill of lading. A common concern is whether the applicant’s name and address must appear separately, or if details shown in the notify party field are sufficient. Here’s a recent query Mr. Old Man received.

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Question

Dear Mr. Old Man,

Greetings of the day.

Need your opinion on the below query.

LC requires the bill of lading to notify the applicant in field 46A.

In field 47A, it states all shipping documents must evidence the applicant’s name and address, BIN No, TIN No, and the issuing bank’s name and address.

The presented BL shows the notify party as the applicant, with its address, but it does not state the applicant’s name and address separately.

Is this a valid discrepancy? Or can we consider the applicant’s name and address given in the notify party details on the BL?

Request you to please clarify.

Regards,

Priya

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Answer

Hi Priya,

You are right to question this, but let me clarify.

As described, the bill of lading shows the notify party details, which can be identified as the name and address of the applicant. This satisfies the LC requirement. Even if the applicant’s name and address are not repeated separately, the information is still deemed to comply.

Therefore, the discrepancy is not valid.

Best regards,

Mr. Old Man