H.M.Paperwork - Filling out the Forms!

Most of the information in this section has been taken from "The International Freight Guide" with the kind permission of the British International Freight Association.

Bill of Lading
Airway Bill
CMR Note
Standard Shipping Note
Certificates of Origin
ATA Carnet
Movement Certificates
The Role of Customs and International Trade
Customs Entry and Customs Procedure Codes
Community Transit & the Single Market Effect
EDI - Customs, Trade & the Future

CMR Note

The CMR note is an international consignment note which is specified under the Convention for the Contract of the International Carriage of Goods by Road 1956 (the CMR Convention) which is embodied into UK law by the Carriage of Goods by Road Act 1965 (as amended by the Carriage by Air and Road Act 1979). Conventions deals with the substance of this law which governs the responsibilities and liabilities of the parties to a contract for the carriage of goods by road internationally.

The CMR note is not a document of title and is non-negotiable. The CMR Convention applies to the international carriage of goods by road even if a CMR note is not carried by the haulier. Unlike carriage by sea or air, there is no stipulation as to who should complete a CMR consignment note, but as the majority of the information in it is available only from the sender (i.e. the exporter or consignor), it is logical that he should complete it. This task, however, is normally delegated to the freight forwarder or haulier. Equally, as the function of the CMR note is to travel from the point of origin of the goods to the point of destination with all intermediate carriers and any reserves being noted on it, it is logical that information on the sender should be completed in the country of initial despatch.

The information to be shown on the CMR note is set out in Article 6 of the Convention and provides as follows.

1. The consignment note shall contain the following particulars:
1. the date of the consignment note and the place in which it is made out;
2. the name and address of the sender;
3. the name and address of the carrier;
4. the place and the delivery date of taking over the goods and the place designated for delivery;
5. the name and address of the consignee;
6. the description in common use of the nature of the goods and the method of packing, and, in the case of dangerous goods, their generally recognised description;
7. the number of packages and their special marks and numbers;
8. the gross weight of the goods or their quantity otherwise expressed;
9. charges relating to the carriage (carriage charges, supplementary charges, customs duties and other charges incurred from the making of the contract to the time of delivery);
10. the requisite instructions for customs and other formalities;
11. a statement that the carriage is subject, notwithstanding any clause to the contrary, to the provisions of this Convention.
2. Where applicable, the consignment note shall also contain the following particulars:
1. a statement that transhipment is not allowed;
2. the charges which the sender undertakes to pay;
3. the amount of "cash on delivery" charges;
4. a declaration of the value of the goods and the amount representing special interest in delivery;
5. the sender's instructions to the carrier regarding insurance of the goods;
6. the agreed time-limit within which the carriage is to be carried out;
7. a list of the document handed to the carrier.
3. The parties may enter in the consignment note any other particulars which they deem useful.

It is important that CMR notes are completed correctly in the first instance. In the event of a claim by a sender against a haulier, the information shown on the CMR note, including any reserves entered, can be very useful to either party, particularly if the claim is resolved in court. Difficulty often results in resolving claims through the inadequate completion of CMR notes. The CMR document is aligned to the UN (ECE) layout key and can, therefore, be produced on aligned documentation systems.

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