Cargo discharge clanger

A ship agent received instructions from a shipper to book eight containers of cargo from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia and issued two bills of lading for the booking.

Two weeks later, the agent received revised instructions to change the consignee name for the whole consignment. In addition, the cargo was now required to be shipped to another port in Indonesia.

Two new bills of lading were issued, supposedly with the revised destination and consignee details. Unfortunately, however, the agent only updated the consignee details and not the destination, so the cargo was discharged at the port on the original booking. The agent tried to persuade the consignee to take delivery of the cargo at the original discharge port but they refused to do so, and demanded that the cargo be moved. The cargo was eventually transported by road to the revised final destination.

The additional costs incurred in delivering the cargo included additional customs documents being issued, the trucking costs and also the terminal storage charges. ITIC reimbursed the ship agent for all of these additional costs, totalling USD 18,626.

A careless simple omission by the ship agent caused unnecessary delay and costs to all parties concerned.