About Bills of Lading

Understanding the foundation of U.S. import data and trade records.

What is a Bill of Lading?

A Bill of Lading (BOL) is a legal document that serves as a receipt for goods shipped, a contract between the shipper and carrier, and a document of title. In the context of U.S. maritime imports, Bills of Lading are required documents that accompany every container or shipment entering the United States through its ports.

These documents are collected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and contain detailed information about each shipment, including the origin, destination, contents, value, and parties involved in the transaction.

What Information is Included?

  • • Shipper Information: Name and address of the exporter
  • • Consignee Information: Name and address of the importer/receiver
  • • Product Description: Detailed description of the goods
  • • HS Code: Harmonized System code for product classification
  • • Origin Country: Country where goods were manufactured
  • • Ports: Loading port and unloading port
  • • Dates: Shipping date and arrival date
  • • Value: CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) value of the shipment

Research Applications

Bills of Lading data provides researchers with unparalleled insights into global trade patterns. This granular, transaction-level data enables:

  • • Supply Chain Analysis: Track the complete journey of goods from origin to final destination
  • • Trade Flow Analysis: Understand import volumes, trends, and patterns over time
  • • Economic Impact Studies: Analyze the economic effects of trade policies, tariffs, and market changes
  • • Regional Analysis: Examine trade patterns at the state, city, or even zip code level
  • • Industry Research: Study specific industries, products, or commodity categories

Data Quality and Considerations

While Bills of Lading provide comprehensive trade data, researchers should be aware that:

  • • Data is collected from shipping manifests, which may contain inconsistencies or missing information
  • • Some fields may require data cleaning and validation for precise analysis
  • • Aggregate-level data is generally more reliable than individual record-level analysis
  • • For detailed research, data preprocessing and validation are recommended

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Complete Bill of Lading Example

BILL OF LADING

OCEAN BILL OF LADING

Shipper:

N/A

N/A

Consignee:

N/A

N/A

Notify Party:

N/A

N/A

Vessel:

OOCL WASHINGTON

Code: 9417256

Carrier:

EXDO, EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL

Manifest No:

000001

Loading Port:

53313, JAWAHARLAL NEHRU

Unloading Port:

4601, NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ

Place of Receipt:

NHAVA SHEVA

Country:

IN, INDIA

Mode of Transport:

11

Est. Arrival:

2018-10-02

Actual Arrival:

2018-10-02

Bill of Lading No:

EXDO6630009736

Master Bill of Lading:

HLCUBO1180901470

Container ID:

TCLU9941422

Container Size:

4000*900*800

Container Type:

4510

Load Status:

L

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Product Description:

RINGLESS METER SOCKET ASSEMBLY

HS Code:

820420

Marks & Numbers:

NO MARKS

Weight (KG):

3304.0

Weight:

3304.0 KG

Quantity:

10.0 PKG

TEU:

1.5

CIF:

0.00

Container Desc Code:

CN

Container Type of Service:

HH