Container lead seal is a device similar to a lock applied by specific personnel after the goods are loaded into the container and the container door is correctly closed. Container seal lock can be classified into customs seals, commodity inspection seals and commercial seals according to the different personnel applying them. Once the lead seal of the container is correctly locked, it cannot be opened unless it is violently damaged (i.e., cut open), and the damaged lead seal of the container cannot be reused. Each container lead seal has a unique number identification. As long as the appearance of the container is intact, the container door is closed correctly and the lead seal of the container is locked properly, it can be proved that the container was not opened privately during transportation. The situation inside the container is supervised and responsible by the loader during the loading process.
Customs container seals are not allowed to be opened at will and legal responsibility will be borne. There are usually two situations where the customs will issue a seal: one is when the customs opens the container for inspection. Customs inspection refers to the process where customs officers open the container or take it out completely for inspection. To prevent the consignor from believing that it was an illegal inspection by someone else, a customs seal is affixed to inform the consignor that it was a customs inspection. At the same time, the customs inspection record must also record the customs seal number. The second is customs transfer. Customs transshipment refers to the transfer of goods imported from port customs to inland customs for declaration.
The container number is the unique identifier of the container body. During the transportation of containers, the seals may be changed, which means there may be multiple seals during the transportation process. The bill of lading number is associated with the goods contained in the container and it may be one or multiple. That is to say, multiple bills of lading of goods can be carried in one container without quantity limit. If the container (container) only holds the goods of one SHIPPER and one CONSIGNEE, then there will be only one bill of lading number, one container number and one seal number. If it is bulk cargo consolidation, then the number of bill of lading numbers will be the same as the number of SHIPPER goods, while the container number and the seal number will only be one.
The container lead seal number is neither given by the customs nor by the terminal, but by the shipowner. It is collected at the terminal by the unit entrusted by the consignor when the empty container is picked up. The numbering methods of container lead seal numbers vary among different shipping companies. The container lead seal number corresponds one-to-one with the seal. After the factory has loaded the container, it locks the seal itself. The quantity of goods loaded before the factory recognizes the lock of the container door is indicated. When heavy containers are returned to the yard, the terminal will also record the container information. The factory cannot change the seal at will. As the carrier of the goods, the shipowner can only ensure the integrity of the goods by ensuring that the container seal number of the container is the same as that when it was first loaded at the destination port, and the seal number is intact.
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