Amendment of consignee in Bill of Lading?

• How to amend consignee name in Bill of Lading? 
• Can a Freight forwarder amend HBL? 
• What are the procedures to amend consignee name in Bill of Lading? 
• Is amendment of export customs documents to be amended to change consignee in Bill of Lading? 
• Can a Bill of Lading be amended after submitting with bank to send to buyer? 
• Can consignee name be amended in Bill of Lading at destination port?
• How does Shipping Company / Freight forwarder amend Bill of Lading?

Bill of lading is issued by shipping carrier of goods on receipt of cargo from shipper after completion of necessary export customs formalities. Once after issuing Bill of Lading, the said document is sent to overseas buyer through the shipper’s bank. Normally, after releasing Bill of lading, the supplier sends a copy to consignee electronically, either by mail or fax.

The supplier may come to know the discrepancy of consignee name in bill of lading once after releasing BL by the carrier. If the discrepancy of consignee name in Bill of lading is found before submitting documents with supplier’s bank, the amendment can be effected by submitting all originals with the freight forwarder or with vessel owner’s agent at load port who issued BL

The freight forwarder who carries goods can amend consignee name in bill of lading, only on the basis of export shipping documents authorized by customs authorities. So, if any details of addition, deletion, or correction are done on the basis of amendment of shipping documents by exporter. If consignee name to be amended has not been mentioned in export shipping documents, the carrier cannot amend consignee name in bill of lading. In such cases, exporter or his customs broker need to amend consignee name in the said shipping documents with customs firstly and after completion of such amendment of consignee name in shipping bill, he can approach shipping liner(carrier) to amend consignee name in Bill of Lading accordingly.

If an amendment of consignee name is required once after submitting original bill of lading with shipper’s bank, the overseas buyer can amend consignee name in the said original bill of lading once after receiving BL from his bank through shipper’s bank. At this time, the consignee needs to approach the shipping liner’s counterpart office at consignee’s location. The carrier (shipping company) at consignee’s location needs a ‘No Objection’ letter or message to amend consignee name in bill of lading from his counterpart at load port who issued Bill of Lading. In turn, the shipping company at load port confirms the details to his counterpart at destination regarding amendment of consignee name in BL.

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 consignee name other than declared in export shipping bill, the exporter (shipper) can amend shipping bill at load port with customs and submit such amended shipping bill with shipping company , so as to enable him to send a ‘no objection’ to amend consignee name to include in bill of lading.