MARAD RECEIVES FIRST AUTOMATED MONTHLY EXPORT BILL OF LADING SUBMISSION
The U.S. Maritime Administration received its first electronic monthly bill of lading submission from a U.S. shipper.
MarAd’s Office of Cargo Preference developed an automated version of its so-called Form F, which is accessible through the agency’s Web site: http://www.marad.dot.gov/exim.
The agency said the automated Form F reduces the exporter’s reporting and processing time, in addition to eliminating the exporter’s need to submit paper copies of its ocean export documentation.
Sherry Burnam of Bertling Logistics, the first company to use the automated Form F for its client Houston-based ABB Lumus Global, described the process as “easier and more convenient.”
The data for ABB’s Export-Import Bank-financed shipment was entered electronically onto the Form F by Bertling in Houston and reviewed by MarAd’s cargo preference staff in Washington. Upon approval of the submitted data, MarAd electronically transferred the information into its internal database. In addition, all the required support documentation was transmitted as accompanying attachments in the Adobe PDF format.
MarAd said Bechtel Power Corp. in Frederick, Md. also helped in the initial trial and testing process.
MarAd’s electronic Form F initiative is part of the Bush administration’s Management Agenda of August 2001, which calls for the federal agencies to make more use of Web-enabled technology.
“MarAd is moving ahead with its efforts in complying with the president’s agenda,” the agency said. “The newly created paperless way of electronically transmitting ocean bills of lading has improved the reporting process, increased efficiency for government and taxpayers, and made compliance with the cargo preference laws an easier course of action.”