Clean Bill of Lading
A bill with no carrier notation of damage or shortage. The opposite is claused, and banks reject claused bills.
When a carrier receives goods in apparent good order it issues a clean bill. If it notices damaged packaging, staining, shortage or defective crating, it writes that on the face of the document, which becomes claused or foul.
A claused bill is normally refused under a letter of credit, so packaging that survives handling is a documentary concern as well as a physical one. The carrier is describing what it can see from outside; it has not opened the boxes.
Also called: claused bill of lading, foul bill of lading.
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