Bills of Lading

Abstract

Bills of lading are arguably the most important document in international trade. When financing goods in transit, the structured financier will ordinarily require control over the goods and rights of possession. The disposal of the goods can provide a secondary means of repayment for the financier should the supported transaction fail to successfully conclude and the client defaults on repayment of the facility. This is particularly important when the goods are travelling by sea, given the length of the journey and often large consignment value.

This chapter considers the key aspects of the bill of lading which are necessary for the financier to achieve control over the goods and the required level of risk mitigation.