Specimen letters

11.4.1

Request for freight rates and sailings

Lee Boat Builders of Hong Kong write to Far Eastern Shipping Lines to ask about freight rates and sailings to London. See the letter at 9.9.1 for the beginning of this transaction.

Lee Boat Builders Ltd.

Dock 23, Mainway, Hong Kong

Telephone: 385162 Telex: 349512 Fax: 662553 Cable: LEBATS

Far Eastern Shipping Lines

31-4 Park Road

Hong Kong

21 April 20—

Dear Sirs,

We intend to ship a consignment of dinghies and their equipment to London at the beginning of next month. The consignment consists of ten boats which have been packed into wooden crates marked 1-10, each measuring 4 x 2 x 2.5 metres and weighing 90 kilos.

Could you inform us which vessels are available to reach London before the end of next month, and let us know your freight rates?

Yours faithfully,

I Lee

Director

Far Eastern Shipping Lines

31-4 Park Road, Hong Kong

Directors: S. Chung, M. Whang, L Grover

Telephone: 421897

Coble: FREAST

Telex:879216

Fax:602135

Mr J. Lee 24 April 20—

Lee Boat Builders Ltd.

Dock 23

Mainway

Hong Kong

Dear Mr Lee,

Thank you for your enquiry of 21 April. Enclosed you will find details of our sailings for the end of this month and the beginning of next, from Hong Kong to Tilbury.

You will see that the first available vessel we have will be the SS Orient which will accept cargo from 3 May to 7 May, when she sails. She is due in Tilbury on 3 June.

Our freight rate for crated consignments is £31.00 per tonne, and I have attached our Shipping Instructions to the enclosed itinerary.

Yours sincerely,

M. Whang (Mrs)

Enc. (2)

11.4.2

Reply to request for freight rates and sailings

If Mr Lee is satisfied with this reply and decides on shipment, the shipping company will send him a freight account (their invoice) and a bill of lading to complete. When the goods have been loaded, Mr Lee will send an advice to his customer informing him of shipment (see the letter at 9.9.2).

Questions

1. When will Mr Lee's cargo leave Hong Kong?

2. How much does the shipping company charge?

3. What is sent with the letter?

4. Which words in the letter correspond to the following: information; ship; arrive; shipping charges?

11.4.3

Bill of lading

See 11.3.3 for details of this document.

Questions

1. Can the bill be transferred?

2. Which word is used for the sender of the cargo?

3. What expression is used for the place where cargo is unloaded?

4. Where would you write the name of the ship carrying the cargo?

5. Who needs to sign a bil?

6. How do we describe a bill when goods taken on board are damaged?

7. What does freight prepaid mean?

8. How many copies of the bill are usually issued?

Delta Computers Ltd.

Bradfield Estate, Bradfield Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4HB

Telephone: 0933 16431/2/3/4 Reg. England 1831713

Telex: 485881 VAT 241962114

Fax: 0933 20016

Your Ref:

Our Ref:

Mr J. D. Simpson 11 May 20 —

Kent, Clarke & Co. Ltd,

South Bank House

Borough Road

London SE1 OAA

Dear Mr Simpson,

Could you please pick up a consignment of 20 C2000 computers and make the necessary arrangements for them to be shipped to Mr M. Tanner, N.Z. Business Machines Pty., 100 South Street, Wellington, New Zealand?

Would you please handle all the shipping formalities and insurance, and send us seven copies of the bill of lading, five copies of the commercial invoice, and the insurance certificate? We will advise our customers of shipment ourselves, and would appreciate it if you could treat the matter as urgent. Your charges may be sent to us in the usual way.

Yours sincerely,

N. Smith

Senior Shipping Clerk

11.4.4