On May 1st, the new "Maritime Code" officially came into effect, and one of the changes in the regulations is particularly striking - when no one picks up the goods at the unloading port, the related costs and risks, which were previously borne by the consignee, are now to be borne by the shipper. Those engaged in FOB, cross-border e-commerce, and freight forwarding are all restless...

01 The responsible party for abandoning goods has changed

Some people say that with the implementation of the new "Maritime Code", freight forwarders may be the most affected.

It used to be like this: hand over the goods to the ship → get the bill of lading → collect the final payment. After the ship arrives at the port, who picks up the goods and when is the foreign buyer's business. Even if the goods are stored at the dock and generate storage fees and demurrage fees, the shipping company will negotiate with the foreign importer, and the domestic shipper basically doesn't need to worry.

Many old foreign traders have gone through this. Once the goods are on board, they feel "it has nothing to do with me".

After the implementation of the new "Maritime Code" on May 1st, such thinking is dangerous. Article 93 of the new "Maritime Code" stipulates as follows:

"If no one picks up the goods at the unloading port, the captain may unload the goods in a warehouse or other suitable place, and the costs and risks arising therefrom shall be borne by the shipper, but the shipper shall be notified in a timely manner."

The new "Maritime Code" changes the subject bearing the costs and risks arising from unclaimed goods at the unloading port from the consignee to the shipper, and clearly states that the shipper shall be notified in a timely manner.

The new law no longer distinguishes between "contractual shipper" and "actual shipper". As long as you hand over the goods to the carrier, you have to be responsible for them to the end.

In the past, when abandoning goods, you could still quibble with the shipping company and delay. After the implementation of the new regulations, the shipping company can directly come to you for money, and there is nowhere to hide.

The pot of abandoning goods can't be thrown away this time.

Some freight forwarding colleagues joked: it used to be "freedom once delivered", now it's "lifetime parenting", and you have to cover for your child when they make trouble.

02 The cost of abandoning goods may soar

The implementation of the new "Maritime Code" has a greater impact on cross-border e-commerce sellers, especially those selling general goods and low-value groceries.

In the past, when facing market changes, increased tariffs or buyers running away, sellers could directly abandon the goods to stop losses, at most losing the value of the goods, and grit their teeth to get through. But now it's not possible.

According to the new regulations, once the goods are not picked up at the unloading port, the shipping company can directly claim from the domestic shipper (seller) for demurrage fees, dock storage fees, handling fees, warehousing fees, return miscellaneous fees and even subsequent disposal fees.

These costs accumulate day by day at the port, and if not careful, they may expand from a few thousand yuan to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan, which may completely swallow the profits of the entire transaction, or even make the seller fall into the dilemma of "the goods are gone, but the debt remains".

Originally, the profit was thin, and one abandoned shipment might directly lose half a year's hard-earned money. Some sellers said with a wry smile: "It used to be 'just forget it if the goods are gone', now it's 'the debt remains even if the goods are gone'".

It can be said that the new regulations are a heavy blow to small and medium-sized cross-border sellers who already have thin profits and limited anti-risk capabilities. One abandoned goods incident at the destination port may be enough to break the capital chain of a small e-commerce seller.

May 1st is just around the corner. Adjust what needs to be adjusted and prepare what needs to be prepared. Don't wait until the goods rot at the port and the shipping company calls you to find out how troublesome this is.

After all, the cost of abandoning goods is not just the value of the goods any more.

Article Source: Chuhai Vision (WeChat Official Account)
Original Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/G0ixdq0la0a2PVJHmWmMNw