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General Average and Cargo Insurance

General Average is a principle of maritime law that establishes that all sea cargo stakeholders (ship owner, shipper, etc.) evenly share any damage or losses that may occur. This is as a result of voluntary sacrifice of part of the cargo to save the whole in an emergency. For instance, should the crew jettison some cargo overboard to lighten the ship in a storm. The cost to tow a disabled vessel, would be shared pro rata by both the carrier and the cargo-owners. General average contributions are normally covered by insurance policies on the ship and the cargo interests. If the cargo is

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Shipping Incoterms

The term “Incoterms” is an abbreviation for International Commercial Terms.  The terms are used in international commercial transactions. The terms were created in 1936 by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), based in Paris France to standardize a general set of rules and terms for international trade. Prior to the establishment of Incoterms, misunderstanding occurred due to the different trade terms and different countries interpretations. They established a standard set of rules between the sellers and buyers in commercial transactions. Since the origin of Incoterms, the rules have been updated several times to account for changes in international trade. Most

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How to Obtain a CTN for African Shipments: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you are planning to ship goods to Africa, you will need to obtain a CTN (Cargo Tracking Note). A CTN is a mandatory document that is required by many African countries to monitor and track cargo movements. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of obtaining a CTN for African shipments. Step 1: Determine the Required Countries The first step in obtaining a CTN is to determine which African countries require this document. To see a complete list of the required countries you can visit our Country Requirements page. Currently, countries such as Benin, Cameroon,

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History of the Bill of Lading

The Bill of Lading, is a legal document that has been in use since the 16th century in Spain. It serves as a contract between the shipper and the carrier. The BOL is widely used across various industries such as air carriers, railroads, etc. This article focuses on shipments from the USA to foreign ports with a BOL. Although there are other types of BOL it is recognized as a contract of carriage worldwide. The BOL contains information about the goods being transported, such as their quantity, quality, description, and the responsibilities of the parties involved, namely the shipper and

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