This is a question from one of the readers – Oleg..
Hi Hariesh,
I have got a new L/C, which was agreed with our customer in India, to perform a shipment of Goods. In this L/C is a statement, that the LASH B/L IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. What means LASH B/L??! I dunno.
Oleg, a LASH Bill of Lading relates to goods that have been shipped using LASH (Lighter Aboard SHip) Barges.. Certain customers add such clauses on the L/C to maybe ensure that cargo is not transhipped onto LASH Barges but UCP 600 Article 20 C says as below.. So you need to really check with your bank about this statement..
UCP 600 – Article 20
Bill of Lading
c.
i. A bill of lading may indicate that the goods will or may be transhipped provided that the entire carriage is covered by one and the same bill of lading.
ii. A bill of lading indicating that transhipment will or may take place is acceptable, even if the credit prohibits transhipment, if the goods have been shipped in a container, trailer or LASH barge as evidenced by the bill of lading.
To explain a bit further about a LASH Barge :-
A LASH Barge is a flat-bottomed boat or ship or platform that is used mainly in the transportation of cargoes along rivers and canals where traditional ships cannot pass.. Some of these barges don’t have any self propulsion capabilities and need to be towed by tugboats..
The barges are loaded with various types of cargoes like pipes, vehicles, palletised or bagged cargo, logs, bulk coal, grain etc at an inland river or shallow port after which, the barges are towed to where the LASH mother vessel is anchored.. These barges are lifted onto the LASH vessel using the ships cranes and secured..
Lighters are regularly used to convey cargo between ships that are so big that they cannot enter certain ports and the port.. Some of the lighters used for containerised cargoes have their own cranes for easy operation..
There are certain ports where there are some draft restrictions.. Lighters are used in such cases to receive bulk cargoes like coal, iron ore, grain etc from say a Panamax vessel to reduce the cargo on board and adjust the draft of the vessel so that it can berth at the port to complete the rest of the cargo operations..
Thanks a lot, sir!
does this mean that an empty lash barge is aboard the ship / mother vessel ?
Yes Shyny.. These barges are aboard Barge Carriers which will off-load the empty or full barges outside the port which will then be towed to the port/berth by tugboats for loading/discharging..
Hi guys, thanks a lot for the answers. Now I copy that. The L/C does mention UCP – latest version, it means 600. The credit reqires that the goods will be shiped from any seaport in Germany to the Nhava Sheva seaport in India, without any transshipments. So, I see my mission to require from our forwarder an Ocean B/L issued accordingly to the L/C, right? Also, if the goods will be transshiped to the barge, so that Panamax vessel can berth Nhava Sheva seaport, I suppuse neither I, nor the consignee will ever know it, right? 🙂
Hi Oleg,
True, UCP 600 protects as mentioned by Hariesh, but make sure the L / C also incorporates UCP 600 as binding to the credit.
If the credit does not mention incorporation of UCP 600, you will not be protected by transhipment clause.
UCP 600 is widely accepted practice but not a part of international law.
Regards,
Mahesh