Legal advice and representation for businesses dealing with cargo, freight contracts and disputes across the transport and logistics chain.
Understanding responsibility along the journey.
ANT Lawyers’ shipping and logistics lawyers in Vietnam advise businesses on bills of lading, cargo claims, carrier and forwarder liability, logistics contracts and customs disputes.
A shipment may involve a seller, buyer, carrier, freight forwarder, warehouse and insurer. When goods are delayed, damaged or withheld, identifying the relevant contract and the party responsible is an essential starting point.
We help clients review the documents, preserve the record of what happened and assess the legal steps available while keeping the commercial need for delivery and recovery in view.
How we can help
Bills of lading and cargo release
Advice on missing, lost or disputed bills of lading, release instructions and delivery without original documents. We review the transport documents and communications to assess the parties’ rights and responsibilities.
Cargo loss, damage and misdelivery
Support with claims arising from damaged, missing or wrongly delivered cargo. We help organize the contract, transport records, inspection material and correspondence relevant to the claim and its timing.
Demurrage, detention and freight charges
Review of disputed charges, payment obligations and the contractual basis for retaining goods or documents. We assist with negotiations and consider how the dispute affects release, delivery and continuing costs.
Forwarding and logistics contracts
Drafting and review of forwarding, transport and logistics agreements. We help clarify the provider’s role, service obligations, subcontracting arrangements, liability provisions and the handling of claims.
Customs and import–export disputes
Advice on cargo detention, customs decisions and disagreements involving valuation, classification or import requirements. We consider the border issue alongside the obligations under the sale and logistics contracts.
Negotiation, litigation and arbitration
Representation in shipping and logistics disputes, from initial correspondence and settlement discussions to formal proceedings. We review jurisdiction, dispute clauses, evidence and the available route to enforcement.
Selected Experience
Our experience includes advising and representing overseas vessel buyers, manufacturers, cargo interests and logistics businesses on transactions, operations and disputes involving Vietnam. The following examples are described in general terms to protect client confidentiality.
Ship purchases and transaction support
Assisted overseas buyers with purchases of vessels from Vietnamese sellers. Our work included reviewing sale and transfer documents, corporate authority and notarization requirements, advising on ownership and encumbrance checks, and providing local support in dealings with sellers.
Shipbuilding disputes
Provided Vietnamese-law advice to an overseas maritime client, working with international counsel, on a dispute involving a Vietnamese shipyard. The advice addressed potential security and interim measures in Vietnam in connection with overseas arbitration.
Bonded warehouses and distribution arrangements
Advised a multinational manufacturer on bonded-warehouse and distribution arrangements involving a logistics provider and a warehouse operator in Vietnam. We reviewed storage documents and authorizations, with particular attention to the parties’ contractual roles, responsibilities and potential liabilities.
Logistics establishment and regulatory advice
Assisted a foreign-invested cargo business with establishment in Vietnam. In a separate engagement, we assisted an international logistics group with investment-registration updates and advised on regulatory requirements for trade-consulting and customs-brokerage activities.
Cargo damage disputes
Represented the Vietnam operations of an international freight-forwarding group in a cargo-damage dispute involving multiple parties. Our work included legal assessment, representation in court mediation and litigation, review of the evidentiary record, and advice on settlement options.
Marine cargo insurance and general average
Advised a Vietnamese exporter on an insurance claim concerning damaged refrigerated cargo, reviewing policy terms, the insurer’s rejection and supporting evidence. In a separate matter, we assisted a foreign shipowner, through overseas counsel, with general-average claims involving Vietnamese insurers and the documents required to substantiate those claims.
Bills of lading and disputed cargo delivery
Advised an international commodities trader on disputed cargo delivery involving sale and carriage arrangements. Our work addressed bills of lading, cargo liens, freight, deadfreight and demurrage issues, together with local enquiries, correspondence and negotiation support.
Freight payment and recovery matters
Assisted overseas freight forwarders and logistics businesses with pre-litigation recovery matters involving Vietnamese counterparties. Our work included payment demands, correspondence with debtors, review of disputed charges and advice on whether further proceedings were commercially and legally appropriate.
How We Work With You
Understand the operations and immediate priorities
We discuss the shipment, transaction or logistics issue, the parties involved and any urgent operational or procedural deadlines.
Review contracts and supporting records
We review relevant transport agreements, shipping documents, correspondence and other records within the agreed scope, identifying gaps and matters requiring clarification.
Assess options and commercial implications
We explain the legal position and practical options, taking account of contractual responsibilities, business continuity and dispute or recovery considerations where relevant.
Coordinate advice and communication
We identify your main contact and partner oversight arrangements, agree scope and fees, and coordinate with your team and other advisers while keeping material decisions and next steps clear.
Related insights
Legal decisions across the supply chain →
Connecting provider contracts, cargo documents and delivery rights.
Preparing evidence for a contract dispute →
Organizing the records needed to support a commercial claim.
Arbitration clauses in Vietnam →
Considering the forum before a transport dispute develops.