The Legal Research for the Nature of Straight Bill of Lading as Document of Title and Releasing the Cargo by Virtue of a Straight Bill of Lading Issued;

Along with the development of international trade and shipping, the delivery of goods without straight bill of lading has become more and more popular.

While delivery goods without original straight B/L is ubiquitous in international trade,it is easy to result in trade frauds.

Therefore it will be meaningless if still discussing whether or not the straight B/L is the document of title.

Simultaneously,as a document evidencing the contract of carriage of goods by sea,the straight B/L has already ascertained the consignee to whom the goods to be delivered at the discharge port at the time when the contract of carriage of goods by sea is concluded, whereby the carrier has duly performed its obligations on delivery of goods under the carriage contract when it has delivered .

Based on the illustration of the concept of straight bills of lading and the comparison between straight bills of lading and sea waybills, this paper first elaborates the question whether the straight bill of lading was included within the Hague-Visby Rules, and then analyzes various different attitudes of main shipping countries towards relevant cases of delivery under straight bills of lading.

This article analyses the legal characteristics of straight bills of lading.

Over the years straight bills of lading have given rise to a number of difficulties for both cargo interests and carriers.