一、引言

    在国际贸易船舶运输货物过程中，因提单需要多次流转，常常会晚于船舶抵港时间，为了避免船舶卸货延误以及船期损失等，承租人或者收货人会要求在没有正本提单的情况下先放货，就是出具保函达无单放货的目的。目前为了促进高效贸易，出具保函而卸货的方式被航运界广泛运用。

二、定义

    保函（Letter of Indemnity，LOI）也常翻译成“无单卸货保函”。从广义上来说，是指在国际贸易交易中银行、运输部门、进出口公司或其他机构或个人为满足某项业务需要向一方当事人担保某种责任或履行某种行为的书面保证。在船舶运输货物过程中常定义：由托运人或提货人向承运人出具的、具有担保性质的一种协议，在托运人同意的情况下，托运人或提货人可无提单提货。在实际海运贸易操作中，就是由租家向船东提供保函，船东审核同意后，通知船长，可以无提单放货。

三、实际操作

    目前航运界都是采用国际保赔协会推荐的标准版如下图，在接收到租家的指示需要LOI卸货时，首先是将标准版LOI WORDING发送给租家，让租家按照标准版内格式一一填写草本（主要填写图中红色标识内容），应特别注意船名、公司名称、地址、装卸港、货物信息、提单号、标点符号等，都必须于原始提单一致，不允许任何改变，待确认后方可签名盖章。最终船东指示船长无单放货。

四、核查保函（LOI）条款完整性和准确性

     保函（LOI）条款是承运人将来对外索赔的重要依据，对于承运人来讲，要尽量确保条款完整性和准确性，以便能够得到快速执行。目前国际保赔协会常用保函（LOI）的范本，主要条款有以下七条内容：

In consideration of your complying with our above request, we hereby agree as follows:

  考虑贵公司符合我们的要求，我们特此同意如下：

1.To indemnify you, your servants and agents and to hold all of you harmless in respect ofany liability, loss, damage or expense of whatsoever nature which you may sustain by reason of delivering the Cargo in accordance with our request.

  如果我方请求延期交货，由此带来的责任，包括货损和货差，我们将向你和你方业务人员或代理做出赔偿。

2.In the event of any proceedings being commenced against you or any of your servantsor agents in connection with the delivery of the Cargo as aforesaid, to provide you or them on demand with sufficient funds to defend the same.

  如上所述一旦有不利于你方和你方业务人员或代理就上述交接货物的行为出现，保证提供有利你方上述人员充分的资金和时间以抗辩。

3.  If, in connection with the delivery of the Cargo as aforesaid, the Vessel, or any other vesselor property in the same or associated ownership, management or control, or any vessel or property in your ownership, management or control, should be arrested or detained or should the arrest or detention thereof be threatened, or should there be any interference in the use or trading of the Vessel or such other vessels or property (whether by virtue of a caveat being entered on the Vessel’s or such other vessel’s registry or otherwise howsoever): 

  若因前述货物交付事宜，导致本船、或与船东存在关联所有/管理/控制关系的其他船舶或财产、或贵方所有/管理/控制的任何船舶或财产遭受扣押、滞留或此类威胁，或对船舶/财产的使用或营运造成干扰（包括但不限于船舶登记被附注留置权等情形）：

(a)to provide on demand such bail or other security as may be required to prevent such

arrest or detention or to secure the release of the Vessel or such other vessel or property or to remove such interference;

  我方须应要求提供必要的保释担保或其他担保，以防止该等扣押/滞留发生，或使船舶/财产获释，或消除该等干扰；

(b)if you have already provided security, to provide on demand equivalent substitute or

counter security, whether or not you have made any prior demand upon us and whether or not such security exceeds the value of the Vessel or such other vessel, and

  若贵方已提供担保，则无论我方是否事先要求，亦无论该担保是否超出船舶/财产价值，我方须应要求提供同等替换担保或反担保；

(c)to indemnify you in respect of any liability, loss, damage or expense caused by such arrest

or detention or threatened arrest or detention or such interference, whether or not such arrest or detention or threatened arrest or detention or such interference may be justified.

  无论该等扣押/滞留/干扰是否合理成立，我方须赔偿贵方因此产生的所有责任、损失、损害及费用。

4. If the place at which we have asked you to make delivery is a bulk liquid, dry bulk cargo or gas terminal or other facility, or another vessel, lighter or barge, then discharge or delivery to such terminal, facility, vessel, lighter or barge shall be deemed to be delivery to the party to whom we have requested you to make such delivery. 

  若我方要求贵方交付货物的地点为散装液体、干散货或气体货物专用码头/设施，或其他船舶、减载或驳船等接卸载体，则向该码头、设施或载体的卸货交付行为，应视为已完成向我方指定收货方的货物交付义务。

5. As soon as all original bills of lading for the above Cargo shall have come into our possession, to deliver the same to you, whereupon (always provided that the said bills of lading have been properly tendered by the party to whom the Cargo was actually delivered) our liability hereunder shall cease.

  一旦我方获得上述货物的所有正本提单，将立即将其交付予贵方。届时（前提是该提单已由实际接收货物的相关方妥善提交），本保函项下的责任即告终止。

6. The liability of each and every person under this indemnity shall be joint and several and shall not be conditional upon your proceeding first against any person, whether or not such person is party to or liable under this indemnity.

  赔偿中每人的责任必须是相关的和多方的，只要你的行为对他人造成危害，无论该受害方是否是本赔偿协议中的受益人或易受损失方，给予对方的赔偿不应是有条件的。

7. This indemnity shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and each and every person liable under this indemnity submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice of England.

  赔偿应该根据英国法解释，每个赔偿人应你方要求必须提交英国高等法院仲裁。

五、结束语

    虽然保函（LOI） 放货快速和灵活，对航运业贸易货物交付效率提高，让客户满意的效果好，但是保函放货也伴随着一定的风险，如法律风险、信用风险和操作风险等。调度、船东和船长在和租家决定使用保函（LOI）放货时，应提前掌握其操作流程和存在的风险点，严控存在的风险，并制定有效的防范措施，确保自身的合法权益和有效的保障。