The Bills of Lading Act, 2025

1. (1) This Act may be called the Bills of Lading Act, 2025.
2. (2) It shall come into force on such date1 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

1. (1) Every consignee of goods named in a bill of lading and every endorsee of a bill of lading, to whom the property in the goods therein mentioned shall pass, upon or by reason of such consignment or endorsement, shall have transferred to and vested in him all rights of suit, and be subject to the same liabilities in respect of such goods as if the contract contained in the bill of lading had been made with such consignee or endorsee.

Nothing contained in this Act shall prejudice or affect---

1. (a) any right of stoppage in transit; or
2. (b) any right to claim freight against the original shipper or owner; or
3. (c) any liability of the consignee or endorsee by reason or in consequence of his being such consignee or endorsee, or of his receipt of the goods by reason or in consequence of such consignment or endorsement.

1. (1) Every bill of lading in the hands of a consignee or endorsee for valuable consideration, representing goods to have been shipped on board a vessel, shall be conclusive evidence of such shipment as, against the master or other person signing the same, notwithstanding that such goods or some part thereof may not have been so shipped: Provided that the master or other person so signing may exonerate himself in respect of such misrepresentation, by showing that it was caused without any default on his part, and wholly by the fraud of the shipper, or of the holder, or some person under whom the holder claims.
2. (2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply where the holder of the bill of lading shall have had actual notice at the time of receiving such bill of lading that the goods had not been laden on board.

The Central Government may give such directions, as it may deem necessary, for carrying out all or any of the provisions of this Act.

1. (1) The Indian Bills of Lading Act, 1856 (9 of 1856) is hereby repealed.
2. (2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the Act referred to in sub-section (1), it shall not affect,---
   • (a) the previous operation of the Act so repealed or anything done or any action taken or purported to have been or taken or suffered thereunder under the Act so repealed; or
   • (b) any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred under the Act so repealed; or
   • (c) the operation of any rule, notification, order, notice or direction issued, or exemption granted thereunder, in so far as it is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, and shall be in force until it is repealed or superseded under the corresponding provisions of this Act; or
   • (d) any penalty incurred in respect of any contravention under the Act so repealed; or
   • (e) any proceeding or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, penalty as aforesaid, and any such proceeding or remedy may be instituted, continued or enforced, and any such penalty may be imposed as if that Act had not been repealed;
   • (f) the reference made to the repealed Act under any other legislation, rule, order, or any other legal instrument and any such reference shall, in so far as it is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, be construed as a reference to this Act or its corresponding provisions.
3. (3) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (2), the provisions of section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897) shall apply with regard to the effect of repeal.