Sea Waybill

Non-negotiable transport document acting as a cargo receipt and a contract of carriage, but not as a document of title. The carrier delivers the goods to the named consignee on identification, without surrender of an original document — making the sea waybill useful for short-sea trades where the cargo arrives before paper documents could circulate, and for intercompany shipments where no third-party transfer is needed. The CMI Uniform Rules for Sea Waybills (1990) standardised the legal regime, and major liners issue waybills electronically through DCSA-aligned platforms.