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3. Road Consignment Note and Rail Consignment Note

3a. Reading

Road Consignment Note¹ and Rail Consignment Note²

Carriage of goods transported internationally by rail is regulated by Convention on International Carriage by Rail (CIM)³ and is referred to as the Uniform Rules ; by road – the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) . They were formulated to provide uniformity in Europe for rail and road transport. The conventions describe the key documents (the CIM consignment note6 and the CMR consignment note ) which serve as a receipt for goods and an evidence of the contract of carriage. However, they are not a document of title to the goods. The consignee can obtain the goods from the carrier at the destination point without presentation of the road or rail consignment note. These notes usually are not marked as clean or foul, because the road carrier or the rail carrier normally will not accept the cargo that is damaged, or short shipped9.

The CIM note (Fig.7) is to be completed in one or more languages of which one must be either English, or French or German. The consignor and carrier may agree alternative arrangements.

The consignor is responsible for the accuracy of CIM notes, and is liable for¹° any loss or damage suffered by the carrier¹¹ due to inaccurate information. It is designed in the form of a pad ¹² of five numbered sheets:

1.Original of the consignment note for the consignee.

2.Invoice for the carrier at the destination.

3.Arrival note¹³/customs for Customs or the carrier at the destination.

4.Duplicate¹ of the consignment note for the consignor.

5.Duplicate invoice for the forwarding carrier¹ .

The CMR note (Fig.8) must be made out in three original copies. The first is for the exporter, the second accompanies the goods and the third is retained16 by the carrier. The CMR does not state clearly who must make out the note and in practice it is often made out by the road carrier. However, most of the information relates to the exporter, who is made responsible for the accuracy of that information. This also prevents the common but extremely undesirable practice of the note being made out well after the goods have started on their journey and sometimes by someone who is not the CMR first carrier. Where the carrier does enter the information, he does so as an agent for the consignor, who will be liable for any inaccuracies in the information shown.

The CIM and CMR note must contain the following details:

•the place at which and the day on which they are made out;

•the name and address of the consignor; the consignee; the carrier who has concluded the contract of carriage;

•the place and the day of taking over of the goods; the place of delivery;

•the description of the nature of the goods; the method of packing; the gross weight and the number of packages and the special marks and numbers;

•the number of the wagon¹ in the case of carriage of a full wagon load¹ (CIM);

•the number of the railway vehicle running on its own wheels19 if it is handed over for carriage as goods (CIM);

•in the case of intermodal transport units²°, the category, the number or other characteristics necessary for their identification (CIM);

•a detailed list of the documents which are required by customs or other administrative authorities and are attached²¹ to the consignment note;

•the costs relating to carriage (the carriage charge, incidental costs²², customs duties and other costs).

Notes:

¹ road consignment note – автодорожная накладная

² rail consignment note (US railroad bill of lading) – железнодорожная накладная

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³ Convention on International Carriage by Rail (CIM) (Fr “Convention Internationale Concernant le Transport des Marchandises per Chemin de Fer”) – Соглашение о международных перевозках железнодорожным транспортом

the Uniform Rules – Единые (унифицированные) правила

the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) Fr( “Convention Relative au Contrat de Transport International de Marchandise par Route”) – Конвенция о договорах международной перевозки товаров автомобильным транспортом

6 the CIM consignment note – железнодорожная накладная CIMthe CMR consignment note – автодорожная накладная CMRdestination point – пункт, место назначения

9 short shipped – в недостаточном количестве ¹° is liable for – несет ответственность за

¹¹ suffered by the carrier – причиненные перевозчику ¹² pad – блок, набор (бумаги)

¹³ arrival note – уведомление о прибытии ¹ duplicate – дубликат

¹ forwarding carrier – промежуточный перевозчик 16 is retained – остается

¹ wagon – вагон; вагон-платформа; фургон

¹ full wagon load – полностью загруженный вагон 19 wheels – колеса

²° intermodal transport units – грузовые единицы, перевозящиеся смешанными видами транспорта ²¹ are attached – прилагаются

²² incidental costs – случайные, дополнительные расходы

3b. Vocabulary

Find the italicized words in the text which mean the following:

1)important, main

2)to get

3)because of

4)experienced (by smb)

5)kept by smb

6)widely-used

7)long after

8)controlled (by smth)

9)responsible for smth

10)unwanted

3c. Comprehension

Decide whether the statements are true or false:

1.The consignments which are transported internationally by rail and road are controlled by the Uniform Rules of a convention.

2.Rail and road consignment notes serve the same functions as a bill of lading.

3.The notes may have clauses like “short shipped”.

4.The carrier will have to pay if there are some inaccuracies on the notes.

5.The CIM and CMR notes are issued in different number of copies.

6.The CMR note cannot be completed by a carrier.

7.Very often CMR notes are made out by second carriers.

8.In general, the information on notes is similar to one on a bill of lading and an air waybill.

Complete each gap with one suitable word:

The key _______ documents for the goods which are transported _______ by rail and road are the

_______ and the _______ consignment notes. They serve as a _______ for goods and an _______ of the con-

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tract of _______. However, the notes are not a document of _______to the goods. The _______ can obtain the goods from the _______ at the destination point without _______ of the road or rail consignment note. These notes usually are not _______ as clean or _______, because the _______ will not _______ the cargo that is

_______, or short _______.

The CIM note is _______ in one or more languages of which one must be either

English, or French or _______. The consignor is responsible for the _______ of CIM notes. It is _______ in the form of a pad of _______ numbered sheets: the first one is the _______for the _______; the second one is the _______ for the _______ at the destination; the third one is the _______ note for _______ or the carrier at the destination; the fourth one is the _______ of the consignment note for the _______ and the fifth one is the duplicate _______ for the forwarding _______.

The CMR note is often _______out by the _______ carrier in _______original copies but it is the

_______, who is _______for the accuracy of that information. The first copy is for the _______, the second one _______the goods and the third copy is _______ by the carrier.

The information on the CIM and CMR note _______ the _______ at which and the day on which they are made out; the _______ and _______ of the consignor, the _______, the carrier who has _______ the contract of carriage; the place and the day of _______over of the goods; the _______ of delivery; the description of the goods; the _______ of packing; the gross _______and the number of _______and the _______marks and numbers; a _______ list of the documents which are _______ by customs or other administrative

_______; the _______relating to carriage.

4. Invoices and Packing List

4a. Reading

Invoices and Packing List¹

Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice² (Fig.9) is a record or evidence of the transaction between the exporter and the importer. It is similar to an ordinary sales invoice³, except some details which are specific to the exportimport trade.

Copies of the invoice are used by:

•the exporters and importers to keep their accounts ;

•banks to effect payment ;

•Customs to calculate duties6;

•insurance companies to fix the values of consignments.

This document contains complete details of the order as on the bill of lading, but it also shows the terms of shipment9, the terms of payment¹°, the value of the order and details of insurance.

The description of the goods in the commercial invoice must correspond with the description in the letter of credit. In all other documents, the description can be in general terms. For example, if the description of goods in the letter of credit is “'ABC' Brand Pneumatic Tool” the description in the commercial invoice should also be “ 'ABC' Brand Pneumatic Tools”, the description in all other documents can be in general terms like “ 'ABC' Brand Air Tools”.

Sometimes the invoice price is broken down into¹¹ such things as the cost of materials, the cost of processing¹², and manufacturing, the cost of packing and transport. The amount of details on an invoice depends on the rules of the importing country. Certain importing countries may require that the commercial invoice and the packing list be made out in, or translated to, the language of the importing country, for example, in French for shipment to France. Various rules can be found in “Croner’s Reference Book for Exporters”¹³.

Consular Invoice¹

Some countries (e.g. South American) require that all imported goods should be accompanied by an invoice signed by their consul¹ in the exporting country. The exporter buys the relevant forms from the consulate16 of the importing country located in his country. The format of the consular invoice form varies greatly, but it contains essentially the same data as in the commercial invoice and packing list. The invoice form is either in the language of the importing country or bilingual, that is, a combination of English and Spanish usually.

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Figure 7. CIM Note Form (continued)

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Figure 8. CMR Note Form

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Then the exporter fills them out and takes them to the Chamber of Commerce¹ . Here the invoice is stamped¹ on the reverse side to confirm the origin of the goods19. Then the exporter takes all these forms back to the consulate. Here the consular invoice is legalized²° by the consul. The main idea is to prevent exporters from giving false value of goods. For example, an exporter might make an agreement with the importer to give only half the value of the goods to reduce the importer’s tax.

Packing List

The packing list (Fig. 10) is an extension of the commercial invoice, and looks like a commercial invoice. Even though a packing list is not required by the Customs laws of every country, its use can be crucial to the successful completion of the exporting process. Packing lists may be in various formats, all with the same basic functions:

•to confirm the contents²¹ of a shipment as it left the exporter’s premises²²;

•to indicate weights, measures and the piece count²³ (i.e. the number of cartons or cases) in that

shipment.

Customs uses the packing list as a check-list to verify the outgoing cargo and the incoming cargo. The importer uses the packing list to inventory² the incoming consignment.

Notes:

¹ packing list – упаковочный лист

² commercial invoice – коммерческий (торговый) счет-фактура ³ sales invoice – счет-фактура

to keep their accounts – для ведения своего бухгалтерского учетаto effect payment – производить платёж

6 to calculate duties – рассчитать пошлины

to fix the values of consignments – определять стоимость грузовorder – заказ

9 terms of shipment – условия перевозки ¹° terms of payment – условия платежа ¹¹ is broken down into – делится на

¹² cost of processing – стоимость обработки, переработки

¹³ “Croner’s Reference Book for Exporters” – справочник Кронера ¹ consular invoice – консульский счет-фактура

¹ consul – консул

16 consulate – консульство

¹ Chamber of Commerce – Торговая палата

¹ invoice is stamped – на счет-фактуре ставят печать

19 to confirm the origin of the goods – подтвердить происхождение товаров ²° is legalized – заверяется, узаконивается

²¹ contents – содержимое ²² premises – помещения

²³ piece count – количество товаров

² to inventory – составлять опись (перечень, реестр); инвентаризировать

4b. Vocabulary

Find the italicized words in the text which mean the following:

1)addition

2)divided into

3)to match smth

4)entering

5)drawn up

6)to check

7)leaving

8)usual

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9)special

10)to demand

11)in two languages

12)completes (a document)

13)to prove

14)to make smaller

15)appropriate

4c. Comprehension

Complete the table with the participants of an export transaction and their uses of a commercial invoice:

importers/exporters

calculate duties

banks

insurance companies

Make a list of the contents of a commercial invoice.

Example: the terms of payment

Complete each gap with one word:

The commercial invoice is a record or evidence of the transaction between the exporter and the

_______. Copies of the invoice are used by the exporters and importers to keep their _______; banks to

_______ payment; _______ to calculate duties; insurance companies to _______ the values of consignments. This document _______ complete details of the _______ as on the bill of lading, but it also shows the

_______of shipment, the terms of _______, the _______ of the order and details of _______.

Sometimes the invoice price is _______ down into such things as the cost of _______, the _______of materials, the cost of _______ and transport and manufacturing. The _______of details on an invoice _______

on the rules of the _______country.

Some countries _______ that all _______goods should be accompanied by an invoice _______by their _______ in the _______country. The _______of the consular invoice form _______ greatly, but it contains _______ the same _______as in the commercial invoice and packing list. The invoice form is either in the language of the _______ country or _______

The packing list is an _______ of the commercial invoice, and _______like a commercial invoice. Packing lists _______ the contents of a shipment and _______ measures, weights and the _______count.

Study the commercial invoice (Fig.9) and answer the questions.

1.Who is the consignor of the goods?

2.Who is to receive the goods?

3.What is the place of shipment?

4.How are the goods to be sent to the importer?

5.What is the port of destination?

6.What is the country of production?

7.How are the goods packed?

8.What is the export clause?

9.What method of payment is used?

10.What currency is used for payment?

11.How much does a carton of safety glasses cost?

12.What is the value of all women’s frames?

13.What is the weight of the goods without the weight of the cartons?

14.How much does the tare weigh?

15.How much does the whole consignment cost?

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