CONGENBILL 2007

The differences between the 1994 and 2007 editions of the CONGENBILL can be summarised as follows. The overall layout of the bill of lading was modernised to introduce the box layout and a more detailed signature box was added. A reference to the date shipped on board was incorporated. The “Place and date of issue” box will be regarded as the date on which loading was completed unless the document clearly displays that loading was completed on some other day. The commodity price is often dictated by the date on which loading was completed and since it is possible to issue a bill of lading at a different place and a different date than when loading was actually completed, the document in such case needs to contain reference to both dates. The new box “Date shipped on board” was added to address this “gap” between the time when the bill of lading was issued and the actual time for completion of loading. 

The reference to “Time used for loading” was removed as being pointless. 

The General Average clause was amended by deleting the words “or any subsequent modification thereof” after the words “York-Antwerp Rules 1994”. This was done to reflect BIMCO’s policy of not supporting the York-Antwerp Rules 2004. The reference to Article 148, part II of the Belgian Commercial Code was also removed from the General Average clause as it was too country specific. Finally, the latest edition of BIMCO’s General Clause Paramount was incorporated into the revised bill.