Transcript Shipping procedure & documents

Tomislav Skračić, MA
Undergraduate English
Course for
MARITIME MANAGERS
6th Semester
Essential reading:
● T. Skračić, Waypoint – English Textbook for Maritime Students,
Pomorski fakultet, Split 2010, Units 29-33
● T. Trappe & G. Tullis, Intelligent Business, Longman 2005
UNIT 31
SHIPPING PROCEDURE
AND
DOCUMENTATION
Glossary
 notify / notice, ETA, ETD, hindrance, free
pratique, allocate the berth, shipper, clearing
and forwarding agents, consignment, shipment,
bill of lading, invoice, customs, customs house,
groupage rate, leading mark, wharfinger,
endorsement, cargo plan, harbour dues,
consignee, shipbroker, charter party, voyage /
time charter, demise / bareboat charter
Unit 31
● The master, agent, or owner of a
vessel has to notify the Harbour
master's office and the Split port
authority – the Port operation
centre (POC) of the vessel's
arrival at the port by fax, e-mail
or by contacting the POC on
VHF channel 09. The message
includes the name of the vessel,
its port of registry, call sign, IMO
number, tonnage, estimated time
of arrival (ETA), estimated time
of departure (ETD), and other
particulars. The POC also
requires particulars of the cargo,
the crewmembers and
passengers.
Unit 31
● The notice of the vessel's arrival
shall be given at least 24 hours
before it enters the port.
Exceptionally, vessels engaged in
the international liner traffic of
passengers need not give notice
of their arrival when they
navigate between Croatian
ports. The master or agent of
the vessel carrying dangerous
goods shall give notice of the
vessel's arrival not later than 48
hours before the vessel enters
the port, and must submit a
declaration of dangerous and
polluting goods.
Unit 31
● The person navigating a ship or the skipper of a boat
intended for commercial purposes must give the notice of
arrival to the Harbour master's office immediately upon
entering the port and before commencing the operations of
loading / discharge of cargo or of embarking / disembarking
of passengers.
Unit 31
● On the basis of the notice of arrival from abroad the
Harbour master's office shall grant to the vessel free pratique
(i.e. official permission to make physical contact with the
shore). The persons on board the vessel, which has not
obtained free pratique, shall not have any contact with persons
on the shore and vice versa, except with sea pilots. The
master of a vessel must give notice of its exact arrival at
anchorage or at the place where the pilot shall board the
vessel, not later than one hour before the vessel arrives
there.
Unit 31
● Once the berth has been allocated by the port authority,
this information is then sent to the shippers concerned
together with loading dates and ports of destination. Ideally,
the cargo should arrive at the berth five or six days before
the ship docks or is ready to load. This period is generally
known as "receiving days".
Unit 31
Forwarding and clearing agents
● The procedure and documentation covering the despatch,
receiving, storing and shipping is, in principle, the same in
most parts of the world although, of course, it can differ in
detail. Clearing and forwarding agents very often act on
behalf of exporters. Forwarding agents are used by
exporters to arrange both import and export shipments. In
the case of the former, their services include collecting the
consignment, arranging shipment, and if required, packing and
handling all documentation, including making out the bill of
lading, obtaining insurance, sending commercial invoices and
paying the shipping company for their clients.
Unit 31
● They also inform the importer's forwarding agent that the
shipment is on its way by sending an advice note, and he, in
turn, will inform his client, send the goods on to him, or
arrange for them to be stored until collected. Many
forwarding agents in importing countries also act as clearing
agents, ensuring that the goods are cleared through the
customs.
Unit 31
EXERCISES
 Answer the following questions.
a) When shall the master’s notice of the vessel's arrival
be given to the port authorities?
b) What must the message include?
c) Who can send such the notice upon entering the
port?
d) What is the free pratique?
e) Who allocates the berth for a vessel?
f) What are the "receiving days"?
g) What are forwarding agents and clearing agents in
charge of?
h) What is a “groupage rate”?
Unit 31

Choose some of the following structures and
make sentences of your own:
intended for
‐ not later than
‐ within three weeks
‐ on the basis of
‐ grant … to
‐ vice versa
‐ upon receiving the letter / entering the marina
‐ on arrival at
‐ once the … has been
‐ once his … are
‐ on behalf of
‐ and she, in turn, will
‐ act as
Unit 31
‐
 Supply the text with the missig terms:
border, compliance, country, duties, goods, harbours,
laws, reason, transshipment, warehouses
CUSTOMS AREA
A customs area is an area designated for storage of
commercial goods that have not yet cleared customs. It
is surrounded by a customs _______________. Most
international airports and _______________ have
designated customs areas, sometimes covering the
whole facility and including extensive storage
_______________. While territorially part of the
country of the customs authorities, goods within the
customs area have not technically entered the
_______________ yet, and may later be subject to
customs _______________ .
Unit 31
 Supply the text with the missig terms:
border, compliance, country, duties, goods, harbours,
laws, reason, transshipment, warehouses
The goods within the area are also subject to checks
regarding their _______________ with local rules (for
example drug _______________ and biosecurity
regulations), and thus may be confiscated or turned
back. For this ______________ , the customs areas are
usually carefully controlled and fenced. The fact that
_______________ are technically still outside the
country of the customs area also allows easy
_______________ to a third country without the need
for customs checks or duties.
Unit 31
Unit 31