Amendment in HBL - House Bill of Lading

HBL amendment procedures and formalities

• HBL details be changed after releasing from Shipping Carrier of Goods? 
• How to amend HBL after submitting original HBL with bank? 
• Can a HBL be amended at port of destination?

HBL - House Bill of lading is issued by a freight forwarder who acts as a carrier on receipt of goods from shipper after completion of necessary export customs formalities. Once after releasing House Bill of Lading, HBL with other shipping documents are submitted to bank in turn to overseas buyer. Normally, once after releasing house bill of lading, the supplier sends a copy to consignee electronically, either by mail or fax.

The exporter comes to know the discrepancy in house bill of lading once after releasing HBL from the carrier. If the discrepancy in House Bill of lading found before submitting documents with exporter’s bank, the amendment can be done by submitting all originals with the freight forwarder at load port who issued HBL. The freight forwarder who carries goods can amend house bill of lading only on the basis of export shipping documents authorized by customs authorities. So, if any details of addition, deletion, or correction is subjected to the declaration by exporter in shipping documents. If correction details do not match with export shipping documents, the carrier cannot include such details in bill of lading. In such cases, exporter or his customs broker need to amend the said shipping documents with customs first and after completion of such amendment in shipping bill, he can approach freight forwarder to amend House Bill of Lading accordingly.

If an amendment is required once after submitting original house bill of lading with shipper’s bank, the overseas buyer can amend the said original bill of lading once after receiving HBL from his bank through shipper’s bank. At this time, the consignee needs to approach the freight forwarders counterpart office at consignee’s location. The carrier (freight forwarder) at consignee’s location needs a ‘No Objection’ letter or message to amend house bill of lading from his counterpart at load port who issued HBL. In turn, the freight forwarder at load port confirms the details to his counterpart at destination regarding amendment of HBL. The freight forwarder at load port provides ‘no objection’ up to the extent of information available in export shipping bill submitted by exporter. If consignee needs to amend any details other than the details declared in export shipping bill, the exporter (shipper) can amend shipping bill at load port with customs and submit such amended shipping bill with freight forwarder, so as to enable him to send a ‘no objection’ to amend such details in house bill of lading.