Switch B/L

Switch B/L (Switch Bill of Lading) refers to a request by the shipper to the carrier during the carriage of goods to recall the original bill of lading and reissue a new set of bills of lading with a new shipper/consignee as the header, thereby changing the ownership of the goods or the destination. It is commonly used in intermediary trade, such as when a Hong Kong intermediary purchases from a domestic factory and resells to European or American buyers, using the switch to avoid direct contact between the factory and the final buyer. Usage scenarios include: reselling goods in transit, circumventing trade barriers, and protecting commercial secrets. Precautions: The full set of original bills of lading must be recalled, the carrier must agree and may charge a switch fee; after the switch, the original bills of lading become invalid, and the date of the new bills of lading is usually not later than the original; if a letter of credit is involved, it is necessary to ensure that the switch complies with the letter of credit requirements. Differences from telex release and sea waybill: switching changes the subject of the bill of lading, while telex release only exempts the original bill of lading, and a sea waybill is non-negotiable. The risks of switching include the carrier possibly refusing or incurring additional costs, and it may affect insurance claims.