Terms and conditions applicable to ocean freight export groupage service LCL


  1. IMPORTANT: The instructions referring to the issuing of the Bill of Lading should be sent to Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited not later than 48 hours before the vessel arrival to the loading port. The gross weight of the cargo should be declared in written together with the weight of the packing and lashing/securing materials. This data will be used to form the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of the whole consolidated container. The responsibility for the correctness of the submitted data lies solely with the shipper.

  2. In case of ordered domestic transport ex the pickup place to the loading warehouse, the picking up of the parcel shall be accomplished not earlier than 48 hours upon the placement of the booking order.

  3. The transportation vehicle cannot be sealed, except in the cases when its sealing has been explicitly agreed upon and indicated in advance at the quotation stage.

  4. The picking up of the parcel from the agreed loading point shall be accomplished once the customs export regime (or another appropriate customs regime) has been completed.

  5. The free time for loading and customs clearance is 30 minutes, thereafter a detention fee of EUR 5 per started hour will be applied.

  6. Export customs declaration original and copies of commercial invoice and packing list shall be delivered with the parcel, except for the cases where it has been otherwise explicitly agreed.

  7. Original commercial invoices and packing lists are not required to and shall not accompany the parcel during transportation. Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited does not bear liability for their return or loss, except for the cases where it has been otherwise explicitly agreed upon.

  8. The shipper/exporter is obliged to arrange the export customs clearance on his means and account, unless otherwise explicitly agreed.

  9. The Exit Summary Declaration should be submitted by the shipper/exporter together with the customs export declaration. In case of omission to submit, the Exit Summary Declaration will be submitted by the carrier and a fee of 25 EUR per declaration will be charged accordingly.

  10. Parcels should be suitable for combined ocean LCL transport and loading/unloading operations; they should be stackable and able to fit into a 20' standard container unless otherwise specifically agreed in advance and stated as early as the quotation stage.

  11. In case of inappropriate and insufficient packing for LCL transportation, the carrier shall not be liable for possible damages on the cargo suffered during transportation and/or loading/unloading operations. If manual loading/unloading is necessitated, the additional costs shall be borne by the shipper/exporter or consignee and shall be paid before the Bill of Lading or cargo release.

  12. In general is being accepted that the parcels are stackable one upon the other if not otherwise explicitly agreed at the quotation stage, and the carrier shall not be held liable for incurred damages on the cargo.

  13. In case of size and/or weight deviation from the ones specified in the quotation, as officially determined and documented at the time of parcel acceptance in the warehouse of Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited or its agents and partners, the price shall be changed according to the factual size/weight without and advance notice.

  14. The shipper/exporter bears the responsibility for the strict observation of the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures ISPM No.15 concerning wooden parts and/or packing used. If the parcel is rejected for loading in the port of departure or returned from the receiving destination because of non-observance of these requirements, all costs incurred shall be borne by the shipper/exporter.

  15. If documentary Letter of Credit is available, the requirements referring to the Bill of Lading issuance shall be specified prior to the goods' loading.

  16. The Original Bills of Lading shall be released to the shipper only after the payment of all due amounts, including all additional charges, such us, but not limited to demurrage fees, storage fees, customs check fees, truck detention fees, etc., unless otherwise agreed in a signed contract.

  17. The delivery of the cargo to the consignee is accomplished against the presentation of a full set of duly endorsed original Bills of Lading, unless there are written instructions for release without the presentation of the original Bills of Lading (Telex release), or Waybill has been issued (Bill of Lading with 0 originals).

  18. The Carrier reserves the right to change schedules, routings, transit times and sailing dates with or without a prior notice. The Carrier does not make commitments for fixed delivery deadlines or for delivery on a fixed date.

  19. Terms of payment: after the parcel has been picked up by Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited, unless otherwise agreed.

  20. All costs, as well as all payment-related bank expenses are payable by the Ordering party, unless otherwise agreed.

  21. Stamp and signature on invoices and related debit/credit notes are not mandatory under Bulgarian Law. (Art 7 from Accountancy Law and art 114 from Value Added Tax Law).

  22. In case the seafreight is prepaid by the shipper or his forwarder, all charges applicable on the territory of destination are to be paid by the consignee, unless otherwise agreed.

  23. In case the consignee refuses to take delivery of the shipment at destination for any reason, all local charges at destination should be borne by the shipper or his forwarder. Local charges at destination are considered such charges, but not limited to local dryage, warehouse charges, storage charges, detentions, customs fines, costs for possible cargo destruction and others, applicable according to the local laws at the country of destination, which by default should have been paid by the consignee.

  24. Unimasters Logsitcs SCS Ltd accepts the order to arrange the transportation of dangerous cargo and all its details the way it has been placed by the booking party/shipper. The booking party and the shipper bear the full responsibility for mis-declaring or non-declaring of their dangerous cargo. The respective penalty fee from the ocean container carrier may vary between USD 5000 and USD 15000 per booking and in case Unimasters Logistics SCS Ltd is penalised with such a fee, it will be billed to the booking party/shipper. Any additional cost that will result from taking corrective actions will be charged on top of this fee.

  25. Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited conducts all business in accordance with the Standard Trading Conditions and Standard Warehousing Conditions of the Bulgarian National Forwarding Association (latest revision). Copy of the above mentioned conditions is published at the internet site www.nsbs.bg. We advise you to get acquainted with them carefully. This offer is valid only in case you do not dispute these conditions. Placing an order as per the present offer is deemed as acceptance of the indicated standard conditions. It is deemed for every next order, whether based upon the present offer or not, that you agree with the indicated standard conditions, unless you explicitly dispute them.

  26. Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited recommends you to insure your goods in transit. The road carrier's liability is limited up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram gross weight and the ocean carrier's liability is 666.67 SDR per parcel or 2 SDR per kilogram gross weight, whichever is higher. In both modes of transport, carrier's liability does not exceed cargo value. The carrier is not liable in case of force majeure.

  27. Unimasters Logistics SCS Limited reserves the right to adjust the quotation in the event of changes in service costs and/or expected date of departure and/or date of arrival of the shipment, which occur beyond the company's control.

  28. All disputable matters shall be resolved through negotiations between the parties and if the parties are unable to settle an agreement by negotiations, any party may bring such dispute for final resolution to the competent Bulgarian court. The provisions of Bulgarian legislation shall apply.

  29. In case you have booked a shipment from a non-European Union member country and you assign the entry into the customs territory of the European Union to Unimasters Logistics SCS Ltd, you, in your capacity of a booking party, acting in your own name or on behalf of your client, are fully responsible and obliged to provide the necessary information for the completion of the temporary storage procedure pursuant to Article 149 of the UCC (Union Customs Code-Regulation 952/2013) "Non-Union goods in temporary storage are placed under a customs procedure or re-exported within 90 days".

  30. In the event that you do not provide the relevant required information and documents within the statutory time limit and you prevent the customs clearance of the goods within 90 days from the entry, you are fully responsible to the Customs Authorities and you oblige to reimburse Unimasters Logistics SCS Ltd with all expenses incurred in connection with measures and actions taken by the customs authorities under Article 199 of the (Union Customs Code-Regulation 952/2013).