1. The document
For a road shipment, the equivalent of the bill of lading is the CMR consignment note or the carrier’s own document.
2. What the origin certificate has to align with
Consignee and place of delivery.
Transport route.
Date of shipment.
Invoice reference.
3. The inconsistency that recurs
The origin certificate issued against the sea documentary set when the shipment actually moved by road.
Names and places differ, and the certificate does not match the carriage document.
4. The direct consignment issue
For land routes through third countries, the goods must not enter the commerce of the transit country.
5. The documentation
Carrier’s consignment note.
Transit documents through each country.
Evidence of non-manipulation where goods were stored.
6. A scenario
A shipment to a landlocked Central Asian state moved by road through two third countries.
The origin certificate was issued correctly, but the transit documents did not cover one leg, and the preference was questioned.
7. What to keep
The full transit chain, border to border.
8. Closing view
Road shipments need the same origin discipline as sea shipments, with more transit evidence.
*This article is based on the direct transport provisions of China’s free trade agreements and international road carriage practice.*