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信用证条款的设定

来源:《中国外汇》2018年第21期

案件回放

某日,单证中心收到某国内企业一笔进口信用证的开立申请,进口货物为聚异丁烯(POLYBUTENE PB1300BS),执行CFR价格条款,要求货物以集装箱运输(PACKING: 180KGS EXPORT STANDARD DRUMS IN CONTAINER,80DRUMS IN CONTAINER. SHIPPED IN CONTAINER),港到港;开证申请书要求:可以分装,不许转运(PARTIAL SHIPPMENT ALLOWED,TRANSHIPPMENT NOT ALLOWED);运输单据为全套海运提单“FULL SET OF ORIGINAL CLEAN ON BOARD OCEAN BILL OF LADING MARKED FREIGHT PREPAID MADE OUT TO ORDER AND BLANK ENDORSED NOTIFYING APPLICANT”;附加条款还规定,“FREIGHT FORWARDER BILL OF LADING ARE NOT ACCETABLE”(运输行提单不可接受)。

单证中心审核开证申请书条款后,发现有两处不妥:一是要求货物以集装箱运输却不允许转运(TRANSHIPPMENT NOT ALLOWED),二是运输行提单不可接受的规定(FREIGHT FORWARDER BILL OF LADING ARE NOT ACCETABLE)不够明确。那么这两处有何不妥呢?分析如下:

关于第一个不妥之处,我们先来看看UCP600第20条B款对“转运”的定义:“FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE,TRANSHIPMENT MEANS UNLOADING FROM ONE VESSEL AND RELOADING TO ANOTHER VESSEL DURING THE CARRIAGE FROM THE PORT OF LOADING TO THE PORT OF DISCHARGE STATED IN THE CREDIT.”(就本条款而言,转运是指在信用证规定的装货港到卸货港之间的海运过程中,将货物由一艘船卸下再装上另一艘船的运输。)UCP600 第20条c款还进一步明确:“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.”(只要同一提单包括运输全程,则提单可以注明货物将被转运或可被转运。银行可以接受注明将要发生或可能发生转运的提单。即使信用证禁止转运,只要提单上证实有关货物已由集装箱、拖车或子母船运输,银行仍可接受注明将要发生或可能发生转运的提单。)

根据以上UCP条款,集装箱装运货物时,禁止转运是无效的。本案例中,开证申请书要求货物必须由集装箱运输,但又不允许转运。如果按此要求开出信用证,即使发生了转运,只要收到的提单上列明了货物已装入集装箱,开证行也不能视之为不符。换言之,此处的“不可转运”条款对发货方和承运人均无实质的约束力,货物转运随时可能发生。所以,这份开证申请书中禁止转运条款与货物以集装箱运输的要求相互矛盾。

下面再分析一下第二个不妥之处。首先要弄清“运输行提单不可接受”究竟是什么意思?UCP500在第30条对“运输行出具的运输单据(TRANSPORT DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY FREIGHT FORWARDERS)”的规定是,银行接受运输行以承运人或承运人的具名代理身份签发的运输单据,除非信用证另有授权(UNLESS OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED IN THE CREDIT)。那么当信用证包含“FREIGHT FORWARDER BILL OF LADING ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE”这个条款时,是否就意味着信用证已“另有授权”,银行可据此不接受运输行以任何身份签发的运输单据呢?

UCP500修订为UCP600时,删除了UCP500的第30条,原因是无论UCP500还是UCP600中关于运输单据的措辞——运输单据必须由承运人或其代理人签发,并注明承运人或代理人身份——已完全能够包含UCP500第30条的内容。因此,UCP600将UCP500第30条删除并不会影响UCP关于运输单据所表达的基本精神,而且UCP也并不禁止运输行作为承运人或作为承运人的代理签发运输单据。既然如此,我们只好参照ISBP了。ISBP745 第E4段规定:“A STIPULATION IN A CREDIT THAT 'FREIGHT FORWARDER'S BILLS OF LADING ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE' OR 'HOUSE BILLS OF LADING ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE' OR WORDS OF SIMILAR EFFECT HAS NO MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TITLE,FORMAT,CONTENT OR SIGNING OF A BILL OF LADING UNLESS THE CREDIT PROVIDES SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS DETAILING HOW THE BILL OF LADING IS TO BE ISSUED AND SIGNED. IN THE ABSENCE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS,SUCH A STIPULATION IS TO BE DISREGARDED,AND THE BILL OF LADING PRESENTED IS TO BE EXAMINED ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF UCP600 ARTICLE 20. ”(信用证规定“货运代理人提单不可接受”,或“运输行提单不可接受”的类似措辞,在提单的名称、格式、内容或签署方面没有任何含义,除非信用证对其出具和签署规定了明确要求。没有这些要求时,对该规定可不予理会,提交的提单应按照UCP600第20条的要求予以审核)。

另外,ISBP745第E3段对于可接受的运输行(货代)提单也有明确的解释:“A. A BILL OF LADING MAY BE ISSUED BY ANY ENTITY OTHER THAN A CARRIER OR MASTER (CAPTAIN),PROVIDED IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF UCP600 ARTICLE 20.B. WHEN A CREDIT INDICATES 'FREIGHT FORWARDER'S BILL OF LADING  I

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