Expert Group Meeting on Documentation and Procedures for Rail- Based Intermodal Transport Services in Northeast and Central Asia

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1 Expert Group Meeting on Documentation and Procedures for Rail- Based Intermodal Transport Services in Northeast and Central Asia Bangkok August 2016 Item 8: Detailed presentation on the proposed single intermodal transport document and associated procedures Building 1

2 CONTENT 1. Central recommendation of study: development and introduction of single intermodal transport document 2. Why is such a document needed? (potential benefits) 3. Procedures compatible with single document 4. Essential functions of single document 5. Document format 2

3 1. Central recommendation of study: development and introduction of single intermodal transport document Single intermodal transport document developed with aim of improving border crossing efficiency and contributing to reduced border delay and smoother flow of cargo across national borders Successful application of proposed document will require that it be transmitted electronically to all entities in the transport chain along each international transit route Recommendation relates only to development of the single transport document harmonization of carrier liability rules across all modes not so far considered. Should it be? Participating countries should consider whether to adopt this document for pilot application within the sub-region of Central and Northeast Asia 3

4 1. Why is a single transport document needed? Fact-finding missions revealed that processing of transport documents accounts for minimal delay to cross-border transportation of intermodal cargo on 3 major routes reviewed However, since multiple documents are used for a single consignment, there is considerable duplication of data entry to different transport documents For example, common data related to goods to be transported must be communicated by shippers or their forwarding agents to railway staff who will transcribe this data to the railway consignment note Thus common data duplicated in two sets of transport documents: House or Sea B/Ls generated by shippers or forwarders and railway consignment notes (generally SMGS) generated by railway staff In some cases (e.g. inland China), local or national rail consignment notes used must be transcribed onto SMGS form at nearest border, adding substantially to border delay, especially where trains are long (carrying up to 100 containers) Introduction of single multimodal transport document will have following benefits: Reduce workload of transport operators (especially of railway staff) Eliminate errors in transmission or transcription of common data (entered only once in a single document) Reduce workload of shippers or forwarders who will be relieved of burden of separately transmitting common data 4

5 3. Procedures compatible with single document Border control procedures Main objective of recommending improvements to border control procedures and documentation should be to minimize delays to cross border cargo between point of despatch and point of delivery, thereby ensuring that cargo flows smoothly Ideally, once customs cleared and despatched from originating station, transit consignment should not be stopped for inspection until it reaches its destination This concept implied in recent practice of many customs organizations globally, but within sub-region, only applies at two borders between Kazakhstan and Russia (where a customs union operates) and the maritime border of ROK (which has advanced system of pre-arrival customs clearance) At other borders in sub-region, strict border controls applied, involving stopping trains and trucks, subjecting them to rigorous examination, and requiring full transit or import customs declaration at border Fact that no country of sub-region, except ROK, has yet implemented Single Window system means that border control process is prolonged in most countries Application of Single Window essential for successful operation of Single Multimodal Transport document - document must be capable of being transmitted simultaneously to all border control authorities 5

6 3. Procedures compatible with single document (continued) Procedures for application of document Document must be generated at place from which container or cargo is to be dispatched (in most cases will be generated by shippers or their forwarding agents) Document must be transmitted electronically to all entities involved in cargo transport and border clearance throughout entire routes (includes shippers, freight forwarders, transport operators, and customs and other border control officials) Various entities involved in transport and border clearance must key in data to their relevant sections of document and then transmit it to all other entities in transport chain In all cases, electronic transmission should replace hard copy transmission of document Document must be fully accepted by customs and other border control authorities for purpose of border declaration and clearance Document must be accepted by shippers, consignees and transporters as evidence of title in the goods and for purpose of transfer to consignees after release by customs and payment of transport charges 6

7 3. Procedures compatible with single document (continued) Example of application: Container dispatched from ROK to Mongolia Initially, a shipper or forwarding agent will raise a single unified waybill at an inland terminal in the Republic of Korea, by entering common data and transmitting the form electronically to: o customs officials at the port of exit in the ROK; o customs officials in the port of entry in China; and o all border control posts from the port of entry in China, up to and including the final destination in Mongolia; At successive stages of the journey. data will be added by rail and/or road operators, as necessary, and transmitted electronically to all other entities in the transport chain. 7

8 4. Essential functions of single document Recommended that single document will replace existing uni-modal and FIATA Multimodal Transport documents As such, needs to satisfy functions of all existing documents In particular: must be evidence of contract between shipper and consignee to transport goods of particular description from a given origin to given destination must be a negotiable instrument conveying title in goods, can be used for transfer of goods from transporter to consignee after customs clearance and payment of transport charges must provide for calculations of railway haulage charges by line section (to be used as basis for distributing haulage revenue by carrier, when multiple rail carriers participate in transport of a consignment must provide for distribution of road transport charges between consignor and consignee 8

9 5. Format of the single transport document Draft Unified Multimodal Transport Consignment Note/Bill of Lading (Page 1) 9

10 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) Draft Unified Multimodal Transport Consignment Note/Bill of Lading (Page 2) 10

11 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) Full benefits of single document likely to be realized only if it replaces, rather than supplements, existing documents Thus, it has been designed to satisfy requirements for all modes used for cargo transport along the major international transit routes in sub-region For this purpose it has been designed as a composite form with 9 sections, each one to be completed by one of the entities involved in transport and/or border clearance throughout each route Following slides describe the sections of the form and identify the entities responsible for keying in data 11

12 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) Sections A-C,envisaged to be completed by shipper or shipper s forwarding agent, contain common information related to: Consignor/consignee contacts, Cargo description and Place of receipt and delivery of cargo Section D contains information related to: Sea Transport, including vessel name, voyage number and ports of loading and discharge. Since shipper of forwarding agent would have this information, they would be responsible for keying data into this section 12

13 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) Section E provides for addition of basic railway transport details - departure, arrival and border stations, as well as code numbers of wagon(s) in which cargo will be loaded This information will be keyed in by staff of railway operator at first station on route 13

14 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) F. ROAD CARRIER DETAILS 18 Place of loading 19 Place of delivery 20 Border crossing point (s) 21 Carrier 22 Successive carriers 23 Number plates of vehicle(s) Section F contains basic road transport information, including details of the place of loading and delivery, borders crossed on the journey, road carriers and identification of the truck(s) in which cargo is to be loaded. This information intended to be keyed in by road transport operator at the first road departure point on the journey 14

15 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) Section G contains the declaration of the carrier or the carrier s agent at the final destination that the goods have been received and delivered in good order 15

16 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) H. RAILWAY CHARGES BY ROUTE SECTION Section H, effectively replaces payment details which appear on the back of the SMGS or combined CIM/SMGS consignment note provides for the calculation of railway charges by route section should be completed by railway operations staff at the first (and, if necessary, subsequent) station(s) on the route important, because it provides the basis for the distribution of haulage revenue among the various participating railway operators. 16

17 5. Format of the single transport document (continued) To be paid by Carriage charges Reductions Balance Supplementary charges Miscellaneous Insurance Total to be paid I. ROAD CARRIER CHARGES Sender Consignee Section I replaces payment details which appear on existing CMR consignment note Effectively distributes road carrier charges between the sender (shipper) and the consignee. Should be completed by the road transport operator at the first road departure point on the journey. 17

18 Thank you! 18