Bill of Lading Colombia (Conocimiento de Embarque)

A Bill of Lading Colombia (Conocimiento de Embarque) is a commercial shipping document issued by a carrier (transportador) or its agent to acknowledge receipt of cargo for maritime transport, governed by Codigo de Comercio (CCo -- Decreto 410 de 1971) Articles 1644 through 1656 and supplemented by Ley 1 de 1991 (Estatuto de Puertos Maritimos) which regulates port operations throughout Colombian territorial waters.

The Conocimiento de Embarque performs three simultaneous legal functions under Colombian commercial law. First, under CCo Article 1644, the document serves as a receipt (recibo) confirming that the carrier has received the described goods in apparent good order and condition at the port of loading. Second, CCo Article 1645 establishes the Conocimiento de Embarque as evidence (prueba) of the contract of maritime carriage (contrato de transporte maritimo) between the shipper (remitente or cargador) and the carrier. Third, under CCo Article 1636 read with Article 1644, the document functions as a titulo valor (negotiable instrument) representing title to the goods described therein, enabling transfer of ownership through endorsement (endoso) while the goods remain in transit.

The Direccion General Maritima (DIMAR) -- the Colombian maritime authority established under Decreto 2324 de 1984 and attached to the Ministerio de Defensa Nacional -- exercises jurisdiction over maritime transport operations in Colombian waters. DIMAR regulates vessel registration, port calls, maritime safety, and the issuance of navigation permits (patentes de navegacion) required before any vessel may load or unload cargo at Colombian ports including Buenaventura (the principal Pacific port handling approximately 40% of Colombian foreign trade), Cartagena de Indias, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast.

The Superintendencia de Transporte (Supertransporte) -- created by Decreto 101 de 2000 and reorganized under Decreto 2741 de 2001 -- supervises transport operators and may impose administrative sanctions for non-compliance with shipping documentation requirements. Under Decreto 2685 de 1999 (Estatuto Aduanero, now largely replaced by Decreto 1165 de 2019) and the regulations of the Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN), the Conocimiento de Embarque is a mandatory supporting document for customs clearance (desaduanamiento) of imported goods and must be presented together with the Declaracion de Importacion, the commercial invoice (factura comercial), and the packing list.

Colombia ratified the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading (Reglas de La Haya) through Ley 11 de 1990, which establishes minimum liability standards for carriers. Under these rules, the carrier is liable for loss or damage to goods from the time of loading to the time of discharge, subject to the defense of force majeure (fuerza mayor), inherent vice of the goods (vicio propio), or acts of the shipper. CCo Article 1649 limits carrier liability to the value declared in the Conocimiento de Embarque or, absent a declaration of value, to the limits established in the applicable international convention.

The Ley 527 de 1999 (Ley de Comercio Electronico) authorizes the use of electronic documents (documentos electronicos) with the same legal validity as paper documents, enabling electronic bills of lading for Colombian maritime trade. Resolution 72 de 2020 of the Ventanilla Unica de Comercio Exterior (VUCE) -- the single window for foreign trade operated by the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo -- supports electronic submission of shipping documents for import and export operations.

A Bill of Lading Colombia is needed whenever goods are shipped by sea to or from Colombian ports, serving as the essential document connecting the shipper, carrier, and consignee in a maritime transport chain governed by CCo Articles 1644 through 1656.

The Conocimiento de Embarque is needed when Colombian exporters ship goods from ports such as Buenaventura, Cartagena, Barranquilla, or Santa Marta to international destinations. Under Decreto 1165 de 2019 (current Estatuto Aduanero) and DIAN Resolution 46 de 2019, the exporter must present the bill of lading to DIAN as part of the Declaracion de Exportacion process, together with the Documento de Transporte, the factura comercial, and any required export permits (vistos buenos) from entities such as the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) for agricultural products or the Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (INVIMA) for food and pharmaceutical products.

The document is required when importing goods into Colombia. Under Decreto 1165 de 2019 Article 174 and DIAN Resolution 46, the Conocimiento de Embarque is one of the mandatory supporting documents (documentos soporte) that the importador or Sociedad de Intermediacion Aduanera (SIA) must present to DIAN when filing the Declaracion de Importacion. Without a valid bill of lading, DIAN will not authorize the release of goods from the deposito habilitado (bonded warehouse) operated by Sociedades Portuarias or Zonas Francas.

The Conocimiento de Embarque is needed when parties engage in letter of credit (carta de credito) transactions under the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP 600) adopted by Colombian banks. Under CCo Article 1408 and banking regulations of the Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, the bill of lading must be presented to the issuing bank (banco emisor) as a condition for payment under the letter of credit -- the document must conform exactly to the terms specified in the credit.

The document is needed when cargo is transferred between parties during transit through endorsement (endoso) of the bill of lading. Under CCo Article 1636, a bill of lading issued "a la orden" (to order) may be endorsed to transfer title to the goods, enabling commodity trading, warehouse financing, and supply chain transactions without physical possession of the cargo.

A Bill of Lading is needed when cargo claims arise from loss, damage, or delay during maritime transport. Under CCo Articles 1649 through 1652, the consignee (consignatario) or endorsee must present the original bill of lading to the carrier at the port of destination to take delivery and, if necessary, to file claims within the one-year prescription period established in CCo Article 1655.

A valid Bill of Lading Colombia under CCo Articles 1644 through 1656 and Ley 1 de 1991 must contain the following mandatory elements as prescribed by CCo Article 1646 to be enforceable as a receipt, contract of carriage, and document of title.

Shipper Identification (Cargador/Remitente): Full legal name, NIT (Numero de Identificacion Tributaria), and address of the shipper who delivers the goods to the carrier for transport. Under CCo Article 1646 numeral 1, the bill of lading must identify the shipper. For Colombian exporters, the NIT assigned by the DIAN and the registration with the Camara de Comercio are required for customs processing.

Carrier Identification (Transportador): Name, NIT, and registration details of the maritime carrier or its authorized agent in Colombia. Under Decreto 2324 de 1984 and DIMAR regulations, the carrier must be registered with DIMAR and hold a valid licencia de operacion. The carrier's agent (agente maritimo) must be registered with the Superintendencia de Transporte.

Consignee and Notification Party: The consignee (consignatario) to whom the goods are to be delivered at the port of destination. Under CCo Article 1646 numeral 2, the bill of lading may be issued: "nominativo" (to a named consignee -- non-negotiable), "a la orden" (to the order of a named party -- negotiable by endorsement under CCo Article 1636), or "al portador" (to bearer -- negotiable by delivery). The notify party (parte a notificar) receives arrival notification but has no title rights.

Goods Description: Detailed description of the cargo including: quantity of packages or units, type of packaging (contenedores, pallets, bultos), marks and numbers for identification, gross weight in kilograms, measurement in cubic meters, and declared value if the shipper wishes to exceed the carrier's limitation of liability under CCo Article 1649. Under CCo Article 1647, the carrier may note reservations (reservas) on the bill of lading regarding the apparent condition of the goods.

Vessel and Voyage Details: Name of the vessel (motonave or buque), voyage number, port of loading (puerto de embarque), port of discharge (puerto de descarga), and expected sailing date. Under DIMAR regulations, the vessel must hold a valid patente de navegacion and international safety certificates (SOLAS, ISM Code) to operate in Colombian waters.

Freight Terms: Specification of whether freight (flete) is prepaid (flete pagado) or collect (flete por cobrar). Under CCo Article 1648, the carrier has a lien (derecho de retencion) over the goods for unpaid freight charges. The freight rate, currency (typically USD for international shipments), and any additional charges (recargos) such as BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor) or THC (Terminal Handling Charges) should be specified.

Date and Place of Issue: Date and port at which the bill of lading is issued. Under CCo Article 1646 numeral 7, the date of issuance is presumed to be the date of shipment (fecha de embarque) unless an "on board" notation with a different date is added. The Sociedad Portuaria at the port of loading typically verifies the loading date.

Number of Originals: Under CCo Article 1644, the bill of lading is issued in a set of originals (typically three) -- each original has equal legal effect, but delivery of goods against one original extinguishes the others. The number of originals must be stated on each copy.

Forms-legal.com provides this Bill of Lading Colombia template to assist shippers, carriers, and consignees in documenting maritime cargo shipments. For high-value or complex international shipments, consultation with an abogado maritimo or agente de aduanas is recommended to confirm compliance with CCo, DIAN regulations, and applicable international conventions.