To enhance our service delivery and to offer you a smooth shipping experience, kindly spare a moment to review the following terms & conditions that governs our operations. Please Do not hesitate to seek clarification if needed. Happy Shipping with us!
Definitions
- “Carriage” means the whole or any part of the carriage, loading, unloading, handling and any and all other services whatsoever undertaken by “US” in relation to your Goods.
- “Carrier” means “us” or ASTEL Global Shipping of address CU 7, Miotso.
- “Freight” includes all charges payable to “us” in accordance with the applicable Tariff unless otherwise specified.
- “Goods” means the whole or any part of the cargo and any packaging accepted from you (the customer or your seller) and includes any Container not supplied by “us” or on behalf of “us”.
- “Merchant” includes the Shipper, Holder, Consignee, Receiver of the Goods, any Person owning or entitled to the possession of the Goods or of the shipping bill and anyone acting on behalf of such Person.
- “Person” includes an individual, corporation, or other legal entity.
- “Subcontractor” includes third party service providers, agents or business partners in the industry (other than us), employed by us in performing the Carriage or whose services or equipment have been used for the Carriage and any direct or indirect subcontractors, servants and agents thereof whether in direct contractual privity or not.
- “Terms and Conditions” means all terms, rights, defences, provisions, conditions, exceptions, limitations and liberties hereof.
- “Vessel” means any water borne craft used in the Carriage under this shipping which may be a feeder vessel or an ocean vessel.
Inspection of Goods
“We” shall be entitled, but under no obligation, to open and/or scan any package or Container (for FCL shipments) at any time and to inspect the contents. If it appears at any time that the Goods cannot safely or properly be carried or carried further, either at all or without incurring any additional expense or taking any measures in relation to the Container or the Goods, we may without notice to the Merchant (but as his agent only) take any measures and/or incur any reasonable additional expense to carry or to continue the Carriage thereof, and/or to sell or dispose of the Goods and/or to abandon the Carriage and/or to store them ashore or afloat, under cover or in the open, at any place, whichever in our absolute discretion considers most appropriate, which sale, disposal, abandonment or storage shall be deemed to constitute due delivery under our engagement. The Merchant shall indemnify us against any reasonable additional expense so incurred. The Carrier in exercising the liberties contained in this clause shall not be under any obligation to take any particular measures and shall not be liable for any loss, delay or damage howsoever arising from any action or lack of action under this clause.
Freight, Expenses and Fees
- Full Freight shall be considered completely earned upon loading of the Goods and shall be paid and non returnable in any event.
- Our base (advertised) rate applies to ONLY normal goods and light cargos more than one (1) CBM.
- High valued products, machinery, equipment, motor vehicles, motorcycles, palletised cargos, dangerous goods and cargos with special components such as battery, liquid, gas, powder etc are charged at a higher rate.
- All sums payable to us are due on demand and shall be paid in full and within at its latest 21 days upon issuance of invoice in the billing currency or in its equivalent in the GHC currency or the Chinese yuan currency.
- All Freight shall be paid without any set off, counter claim, deduction or stay of execution at latest before arrival of the Goods at the ports for customs clearance.
- If the Merchant fails to pay the Freight when due he shall be liable also for payment of service fee, interest due on any outstanding and/or overdue sum reasonable attorney fees and expenses incurred in collecting any sums due to the Carrier. Payment of Freight and charges to anyone other than the Carrier or its designated bank, shall not be deemed payment to the Carrier and shall be made at the Merchant’s sole risk.
- We may at any time open the Goods or Container(s) and, if the Shipper’s particulars are incorrect the Merchant and the Goods shall be liable for the correct Freight and any expenses incurred in examining, weighing, measuring, or valuing the Goods.
Products not Accepted
We do not accept to ship the following items (especially in large volumes) unless the relevant documentations such as MSDS/Ocean Transport Safety Certificate/Test Report etc are provided.
- brands
- powders
- liquids
- chemicals
- flammables
- explosives
- contrabands
If the Merchant fails to provide the required documentation, any costs incurred during inspection will be borne by the Merchant.
Discharge and Delivery
- The Merchant shall take delivery of the Goods within 5 days upon notification that the goods are ready for pick up and delivery after customs clearance is completed.
- If the Merchant fails to do so within the stipulated pick up time, storage fees will be charged on the goods for the period the goods remain at the warehouse at a rate of $10/CBM/day.
- If the Goods are unclaimed within a reasonable time (say 21 days) or whenever in the Carrier’s opinion the Goods are likely to deteriorate, decay or become worthless, or incur charges whether for storage or otherwise in excess of their value, the Carrier may at his discretion and without prejudice to any other rights which he may have against the Merchant, without notice and without any responsibility attaching to him sell, abandon or otherwise dispose of the Goods at the sole risk and expense of the Merchant and apply any proceeds of sale in reduction of the sums due to the Carrier by the Merchant.
- Refusal by the Merchant to take delivery of the Goods in accordance with the terms of this clause and/or to mitigate any loss or damage thereto shall constitute a waiver by the Merchant to the Carrier of any claim whatsoever relating to the Goods or the Carriage thereof.
Merchant’s Warranties And Responsibilities
The Merchant warrants that:
- in agreeing to the Terms and Conditions he is, or has the authority to contract on behalf of, the Person owning or entitled to possession of the Goods in question.
- the Goods are packed in a manner adequate to withstand the risks of Carriage having regard to their nature and in compliance with all laws, regulations or requirements which may be applicable during the Carriage;
- neither the receipt, delivery or handling of the Goods nor any payment or other transaction relating to the Goods will expose the Carrier or any member of the Carrier Group, the Subcontractors or any of their employees, servants, agents, banks, insurers or reinsurers to any sanction, prohibition or penalty (or any risk of sanction, prohibition or penalty) whatsoever imposed by any state, country, supranational or international governmental organisation or other Authority;
- the Goods are not intended to be used in the design, development, or production of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.
- the Merchant shall comply with all regulations or requirements of customs, port and other authorities, and shall bear, pay and indemnify the Carrier against all duties, taxes, fines, impost, expenses or losses (including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing Freight for any additional Carriage undertaken) incurred or suffered by reason thereof, or by reason of any illegal, incorrect, untimely or insufficient declaration, marking, numbering or addressing of the Goods.
- all of the Persons coming within the definition of Merchant in clause 1 shall be jointly and severally liable to the Carrier for the due fulfilment of all obligations undertaken by the Merchant in this bill of lading