Bill of Lading
Last reviewed 29 September 2026
What it is
The shipping document issued by the carrier or its agent for a sea-freight shipment, evidencing the contract of carriage and (for an order or straight bill) title to the goods.
When it's required
Required for all sea-freight shipments. At the Port of Dar es Salaam — which handles roughly 95% of Tanzania's international trade and also serves landlocked neighbours (Zambia, DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe) — the Bill of Lading is provided to the Clearing and Forwarding Agent and uploaded, together with the Delivery Order and Release Order, to Tanzania Ports Authority's electronic payment portal (TePP) to generate the port-charges invoice.
Who typically prepares it
Issued by the shipping line or its agent to the shipper/exporter.
Official Sources
At a glance
Type: Bill of Lading
Transport mode: Sea freight
Jurisdiction: Mainland Tanzania & Zanzibar
Applies across commodities.