Introduction (概述)
Transport plays an important part in international business because goods by seller have to be delivered to the buyer abroad, and the delivery of goods is to be made possible by transport services. Goods are carried by several means of conveyance----on road or rail, by sea or air. And in recent years, combined transport which is a road-sea-rail carriage appeared.
As, basically, some 98% of world trade are conveyed by sea transport we lay an emphasis on sea transport in this chapter. And in recent years a new type of carriage appeared, called container transport ( cargo are transported by container ships.)
Usually there are three parties involved in most movements of goods, the consignor, the carrier and the consignee.
When goods are transported by road, rail or air, the contract of carriage takes the form of a Consignment Note or Air Way Bill. In sea transport, chartering of ships of booking shipping space is involved. And the contract entered into between the ship-owner and the shipper may take the form of either a Charter Party or Bill of Lading. Shipment covers rather a wide range of work, such as: 1) Buyers sending Shipment Instructions; 2) Sellers sending Shipping Advice; 3) Booking shipping space; 4) Chartering ships;
5) Appointing shipping agent; 6) Arranging shipment;
7) Nomination of vessels, etc.
In making a single shipment by liner, the first step is to ascertain the rate. The quotation of a rate for a certain commodity constitutes an offer on the part of the carrier. If the shipper wishes to make this rate binding, he must accept the proposal promptly at the rate quoted. The carrier then reserves the required space and delivers to the shipper or his agent a shipping permit (shipping order). This permit is addressed to the receiving clerk at the dock. When the goods are delivered to the dock, the shipping permit is exchanged for a dock receipt or a mate's receipt, which is a brief statement from the carrier's representative at the dock, indicating that the shipment has been received from the apparent
good order. This is a temporary receipt that must be exchanged for the regular ocean bill of lading before the vessel sails.
The ocean bill of lading is an essential document in making a shipment. It represents three aspects. First, it is a receipt of the goods. Second, it is a contract for the performance of certain services upon certain conditions. Third, it serves also as evidence of ownership of the goods described, and when made out \negotiable instrument, used as security for loans and other purposes. When drawn in this way, it is known as an order bill of lading. The straight bill of lading, on the other hand, is made out to a specific consignee. Such a document is not negotiable.
With the expansion of international trade, the container service has become popular. The use of containers provides a highly efficient form of transport by road, rail and air though its fullest benefits are left in shipping, where costs may be reduced by as much as one half. Containers are constructed of metal and are of standard lengths ranging from ten to forty feet.
After making shipment, the seller should promptly advise the buyer of its effectuation, no matter whether the transaction is concluded on FOB, CFR, or CIF basis. If the nature of the goods permits and provided that appropriate stipulations have been laid down in the contract or L/C, the seller may choose to make several partial shipments of a given lot of contracted goods at different times.
With the rapid development of international trade, transportation facilities have been greatly improved to meet the demand. Besides
transport by sea, road, or rail, nowadays in order to speed up delivery, carriage by air has become popular. Instead of a bill of lading, an air waybill is used if goods are sent by air. Like the bill of lading the air waybill serves as a receipt for the goods taken on board and is evidence of the contract of carriage. However, unlike the bill of lading the air waybill is not a document of title. It cannot transfer ownership of the goods to which it refers.
Letters regarding shipment are usually written for the following purposes: to urge an early shipment; to amend shipping terms; to give shipping advice; to dispatch shipping documents and so on. Taking
advantage of the occasion to advise the buyer of the shipment, the seller may also review the course of the transaction and express the desire for further development of business.
考考你的词汇
海运ocean transportation
铁路运输railway trasnportation 空运air transportation
内河航运 inland waterway transport 班轮装运liner shipping 滞期demurrage 速遣dispatch
附加费surcharge
租船运输chartering shipping 航次租船 voyage charter 定期租船time charter 不定期船运输 tramp shipping
Classifications of B/L
According to the ways of stipulating the consignee 记名提单straight B/L
指示提单order B/L （to order of ……it is negotiable by endorsement） 不记名提单blank B/L (blank, or bearer)
According to the different modes of transportation 直达提单direct B/L
转船提单transshipment B/L
联运提单 combined transport B/L (through B/L)
多式联运单据 Multi-modal transport documents (MTD)
The main contents of Ocean B/L 承运人carrier
发货人/托运人shipper
收货人/提单抬头人consignee 被通知方notify party
口译下面对话
I：为了能在9月1日抵达，货物必须在8月10日之前离开上海。 E：你的时间确实很紧，也许你该早点订货。
I：我希望能早点订货，但人们对服装的喜好变化太快。因此，为了更好地预测哪种样式能赢得顾客，我们有时要等到离销售季节只剩两三个月的时间。 E：我明白了，不过这样一来，服装制造商人承受的压力就大了。
I：确实如此，这也是为什么现在服装制造商们不光在质量和价格上，而且在交货速度上展开竞争。你交货越快，得到的订单就越多。
E：我愿意早点交货，但我的工厂已经满负荷运转了。 I：你能否重新安排一下你的计划，让我们的货优先？
E：行，我重新安排生产计划，但是我最多能做到提前5天，也就是8月15日交货。
参考答案
I：为了能在9月1日抵达，货物必须在8月10日之前离开上海。 E：你的时间确实很紧，也许你该早点订货。
You do have a very tight schedule here. Perhaps you should have placed this order a bit earlier. I：我希望能早点订货，但人们对服装的喜好变化太快。因此，为了更好地预测哪种样式能赢得顾客，我们有时要等到离销售季节只剩两三个月的时间。
I wish I could, but the people’s tastes for garments change so fast. In order to make a better prediction as to which design will win our customers, we have to wait until just two or three months before the season.
E：我明白了，不过这样一来，服装制造商人承受的压力就大了。 I see, but that will place greater pressure on the garments manufactures.
I：确实如此，这也是为什么现在服装制造商们不光在质量和价格上，而且在交货速度上展开竞争。你交货越快，得到的订单就越多。
That’s true, and this is why garments makers are now competing not only in quality and price, but also in speed of delivery. The sooner you can make the delivery, the more orders you will have. E：我愿意早点交货，但我的工厂已经满负荷运转了。
I would like to make an early delivery, but my factories are already working at full capacity. I：你能否重新安排一下你的计划，让我们的货优先？
Can you rearrange your schedule and make my order your top priority?
E：行，我重新安排生产计划，但是我最多能做到提前5天，也就是8月15日交货。 All right. But the best I can do is to deliver the goods five days earlier, that is, by August 15.
I：你们什么时候能交货？ E：6月。
I：太迟了。因为这是季节性商品，为了赶上季节，我们必须在5月底之前将产品投放市场。你有办法提前在4月装运吗？
E：这事不好办，根据我们制造商的计划，交货日期最早也得在5月底。 I：如果你们在5月底发货，我们还要两三周的时间报关，把商品投放市场。
E：我恐怕提前装运时间很困难。新的订单源源而来，工人们正在三班工作加速生产。
I：你们什么时候能交货？ E：6月。
I：太迟了。因为这是季节性商品，为了赶上季节，我们必须在5月底之前将产品投放市场。你有办法提前在4月装运吗？
That’ll be too late. Since this is a kind of seasonal products, we’ve got to market it before the end of May in order to keep up with the season. Can you do something about it to advance the shipment to April?
E：这事不好办，根据我们制造商的计划，交货日期最早也得在5月底。
That will be hard to handle. According to our manufacture’s schedule, the earliest possible date of delivery would be the end of May.
I：如果你们在5月底发货，我们还要两三周的时间报关，把商品投放市场。
If…… it will still take us another two or three weeks to go through the customs and get the goods on to the market.
E：我恐怕提前装运时间很困难。新的订单源源而来，工人们正在三班工作加速生产。 Well, I’m afraid it will be difficult for us to advance the time of shipment. As new orders keep
pouring in, the workers are working three shifts to step up production.
I：你能告诉我如何装运这批货？ E：我们一般采用班轮装运。 I：你们能否考虑立即装运？
E：恐怕不行。要想很快向我们厂商弄到这批货是很困难的。 I：那我们这批货的装船期限是什么时候？
E：为了便于准备货物，我们希望允许分批装运。
I：我们定购的这批货是季节性的，还是一次发运为好。
E：我们无法一次装运，但我们将尽力提前装船。第一批货物的装船不迟于7月。 I：我们希望直运。
E：我们通常采取直运，除非客户要求转运。 I：你们可以负责租船吗？
E：一般来说，买方负责定船只舱位。
I：对于大宗货物，由卖方安排舱位更加方便。 E：我们也可以负责租船装运。
I：装船数量上是不是允许有机动幅度？
E：可以有出入，但不能超过每批货物装船数量的2％。 I：差额怎么计算？
E：差额最后按合同价计算。 I：货物的运费由卖方负责吧？
E：卖方只负责包括出口所需的任何关税费用和其他办理出口手续费。
I：你能告诉我如何装运这批货？ How you ship the goods?
E：我们一般采用班轮装运。
We usually ship the goods by regular liner. I：你们能否考虑立即装运？
Could you consider prompt shipment for this lot?
E：恐怕不行。要想很快向我们厂商弄到这批货是很困难的。 I：那我们这批货的装船期限是什么时候？ What is the deadline of the loading period?
E：为了便于准备货物，我们希望允许分批装运。
To make it easier for us to get the goods ready for shipment, we hope that partial shipment will be allowed.
I：我们定购的这批货是季节性的，还是一次发运为好。
The goods we ordered are seasonal products, it would be better to ship them all at one time. E：我们无法一次装运，但我们将尽力提前装船。第一批货物的装船不迟于7月。
…but we’ll try our best to advance the time of shipment. The first part of the goods is to be shipped not later than …… I：我们希望直运。
We hope you can make a direct shipment.
E：我们通常采取直运，除非客户要求转运。