Sea Waybill

A sea waybill is used in place of a bill of lading and acts as a contract when cargo is moving between two companies but not being sold through a letter of credit (or equivalent process). You must also check that under the two countries involved there is no mandatory requirement for a bill of lading to be used.

While this simplifies the documentation, using a sea waybill and relying on payment via separate means is not recommended unless your business is comfortable with this risk and the other party has demonstrated that they can be trusted with your goods. In a sense, the sea waybill is similar to a bill of lading, a contract and the main shipping document.