What is a Bill of Lading on a Japan-to-Sri-Lanka vehicle import?

What is a Bill of Lading?

A Bill of Lading (BL) is the shipping contract and title document issued by the carrier when a vehicle is loaded at a Japanese port for export. For Japan-to-Sri-Lanka motor imports, the BL is issued by the RoRo line — typically MOL, K-Line, NYK or Höegh — once the vehicle is on board.

A BL serves three functions on a vehicle import:

1. Contract of carriage — the shipping line’s commitment to deliver the vehicle to the named destination port.
2. Receipt — confirms the vehicle was received at the loading port in the declared condition.
3. Title document — whoever holds the original BL (or to whom it is endorsed) can claim the cargo at the destination port.

What’s on a vehicle BL

• Shipper (the Japanese exporter)
• Consignee (the buyer or, by convention on most SL imports, the importer of record)
• Notify party (the customs house agent who clears at port)
• Vessel name and voyage number
• Loading port (typically Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka or Kobe) and discharge port (Colombo or Hambantota)
• Vehicle details: make, model, year, chassis number, engine number, colour, mileage
• Number of original BLs issued (usually three)

Original vs telex-released BLs

Two release modes are used on the SL route:

• Original BL — three physical originals are couriered to the SL importer; one must be surrendered at the discharge port to release the cargo. Adds 3–7 days to clearance and a courier line item to the cost.
• Telex release / sea waybill — the shipper authorises the carrier electronically to release without an original. Faster and now the default on most SL imports.

Car Dreams uses telex release on all but a handful of edge cases (e.g., where a financing partner specifically requires custody of an original BL as collateral).

Why the BL matters at customs

Sri Lanka Customs verifies the BL against the import declaration (CUSDEC) and the pre-shipment inspection certificate. Discrepancies — chassis number mismatch, undeclared engine swap, inconsistent loading port — trigger re-inspection and can delay clearance by 5–10 working days.

Once the BL is surrendered (or the telex release is in the carrier’s system), the port terminal will discharge the vehicle to the customs house agent on submission of the CUSDEC and tax payment receipts.

Where the BL costs sit on the breakdown

The BL is part of the freight already capitalised into the CIF — the “F” (Freight) line. Telex release fees, courier fees on original BLs and amendment fees if the consignee changes mid-voyage all sit inside the LKR 145,000 business-cost line on the Car Dreams landed-price breakdown.

For the full landed-price math, see our pricing structure.