Sea waybill

The DCSA shipping glossary describes the sea waybill as a non-negotiable document, issued to a named consignee, that evidences the contract of carriage and receipt of the goods but does not transfer title; goods can be released without presenting it. It may be paper or digital, and DCSA's Bill of Lading standard covers sea waybills alongside original bills. In UK law, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992 defines a sea waybill as a document that is not a bill of lading but is a receipt containing or evidencing a contract for carriage by sea and identifying the person to whom the carrier is to deliver (section 1(3)). That person acquires rights of suit under the contract of carriage (section 2(1)(b)). Under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, the Hague-Visby Rules have the force of law for a non-negotiable receipt marked as such where the contract expressly provides for them (section 1(6)(b)). According to its Explanatory Notes, the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 does not apply to sea waybills: they are not transferable and possession is not relevant to rights under them, so they can already be used electronically. A sea waybill would fall within the Act only where possession was relevant in a particular case (paragraph 91).