TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
(Please Read Carefully)
All shipments to or from the Customer, which term shall include the shipper, exporter, importer, sender, consignor, consignee, transferor or transferee, forwarder, intermediary, and/or customs broker handling this shipment, are undertaken subject to the following terms and conditions. Law, international convention, or treaties may impose additional terms and conditions. Customer is responsible to be familiar with all such terms governing its shipments. Air Tiger Express (USA), Inc. (hereinafter the “Company”) does not undertake to educate Customers in this or any other regard. Where a conflict arises between these terms and those of bills of lading or airwaybills issued by the Company, the terms of the bill of lading or airwaybill shall govern except as to liability for payment of any costs or charges to Company.
- Service by Third Parties. Unless the Company carries, shores or otherwise physically handles the shipment, and loss, damage, expense or delay occurs during such activity, the Company assumes no liability as a carrier and is not to be held responsible for any loss, damage, expense or delay to the goods to be forwarded or imported except as provided in paragraph 10 and subject to the limitations of paragraph 8 below, but undertakes only to use reasonable care in the selection of carriers, truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customs brokers, agents, warehousemen and others to whom it may entrust the goods for transportation, cartage, handling and /or delivery and /or storage or otherwise. When the Company carriers, stores or otherwise physically handles the shipment, it does so subject to the limitations of paragraph 8 below, unless a separate bill of lading, air waybill, or other contract of carriage is issued by the Company, in which event the terms thereof shall govern.
- Liability Limitations of Third Parties. The Company is authorized to select and engage carriers, truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customs brokers, agents warehousemen and others, as required, to transport shipment, deal with and deliver the goods, all of whom shall be considered the agents of the Customer, and the goods may be entrusted to such agencies subject to all conditions as to limitations of liability for loss, damage, expense or delay and to all rules, regulations, requirements and conditions, whether printed, written or stamped, appearing in bills of lading, receipts or tariffs issued by such carriers, truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customs brokers, agents, warehousemen, and others. The company shall under no circumstances be liable for any loss, damage, expense or delay to the goods for any reason whatsoever when said goods are in the custody, possession or control of third parties selected by the Company to forward, enter, clear, transport, or render other services with respect to such goods.
- Choosing Routes or Agents. Unless express instructions in writing are received from the Customer, the Company has complete freedom in choosing the means, route and procedure to be followed in the handling, transportation and delivery of the goods. Advice by the Company to the Customer that a particular person or firm has been selected to render services with respect to the goods shall not be construed to mean that the Company warrants or represents that such person or firm will render such services.
- Quotations Not Binding. Quotations as to fees, rates of duty, freight charges, insurance premiums or other charges given by Company to the Customer are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice and shall not under any circumstances be binding upon the Company unless the company in writing specifically undertakes the handling or transportation of the shipment at a specific rate.
- Duty to Furnish Information. (a) On an import at a reasonable time prior to entering of the goods for U.S. Customs, the Customer shall furnish to the Company invoices in proper form and other documents necessary or useful in the preparation of the U.S. Customs entry and, also, such further information as may be sufficient to establish, inter alia, the dutiable value, the classification, the country of origin, the genuineness of the merchandise and any mark or symbol associated with it, the Customer's right to import and/or distribute the merchandise, and the merchandise's admissibility, pursuant to U.S. law or regulation. If the Customer fails in a timely manner to furnish such information or documents, in whole or in part, as may be required to complete U.S. Customs entry or comply with U.S. laws or regulations, or if the information or documents furnished are inaccurate or incomplete, the Company shall be obligated only to use its best judgment in connection with the shipment and in no instance shall be charged with knowledge by the Customer of the true circumstances to which such inaccurate, incomplete, or omitted information or document pertains. Where a bond is required by U.S. Customs to be given for the production of any document or the performance of any act, the Customer shall be deemed bound by the terms of the bond notwithstanding the fact that the bond has been executed by the Company as principal, it being understood that the Company entered into such undertaking at the instance and on behalf of the Customer, and the Customer shall indemnify and hold the Company harmless for the consequences of any breach of the terms of the bond. (b) On an export at a reasonable time prior to the exportation of the shipment the Customer shall furnish to the Company the commercial invoice in proper form and number, a proper consular declaration, weights, measures, values and other information in the language of and as may be required by the laws and regulations of the U.S. and the country of destination of the goods. (c) On an export or import the Company shall not in any way be responsible or liable for increased duty, penalty, fine or expense unless caused by the negligence or other fault of the Company, in which event its liability to the Customer shall be governed by the provisions of paragraphs 8 - 10 below. The Customer shall be bound by and warrant the accuracy of all invoices, documents and information furnished to the Company by the Customer or its agent for export, entry or other purposes and the Customer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any increased duty, penalty, fine or expense including attorneys' fees, resulting from any inaccuracy, incomplete statement, omission or any failure to make timely presentation, even if not due to any negligence of the Customer.
- Declaring Higher Valuation. Inasmuch as truckers, carriers, warehousemen and others to whom the goods are entrusted usually limit their liability for loss or damage unless a higher value is declared and a charge based on such higher value is agreed to by said trucker, etc. the Company must receive specific written instructions from the Customer to pay such higher charge based on valuation and the truckers etc., must accept such higher declared value; otherwise the valuation placed by the Customer on the goods shall be considered solely for export or customs purposes and the goods will be delivered to the truckers etc., subject to the limit of liability set forth herein in paragraph 8-10 below with respect to any claim against the Company and subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 above.
- Insurance. The Company will make reasonable efforts to effect marine, theft and other insurance upon the goods only after specific written instructions have been received by the Company in sufficient time prior to the shipment from the point of origin, and at the same time states specifically the kind and amount of insurance to be placed. The Company does not undertake or warrant that such insurance can or will be placed. Unless the Customer has its own open marine policy and instructs the Company to effect insurance under such policy, insurance is to be effected with one or more insurance companies or other underwriters to be selected by the Company. Any insurance placed shall be governed by the certificate or policy issued and will only be effective when accepted by such insurance companies or other underwriters. Should an insurer dispute its liability for any reason, the insured shall have recourse against the insurer only and the Company shall not be under any responsibility of liability in relation thereto, notwithstanding that the premium upon the policy may not be at the same rates as that charged or paid to the Company by the Customer, or that the shipment was insured under a policy in the name of the Company. Insurance premiums and the charge of the Company for arranging the same shall be at the Customer's expense. If for any reason the goods are held in warehouse, or elsewhere, the same will not be covered under any insurance, unless the Company receives written instructions from the Customer. Unless specifically agreed in writing, the Company assumes no responsibility to effect insurance on any export or import shipment which it does not handle.
- Limitation of Liability. The Customer agrees that the Company shall in no event be liable for any loss, damage, expense, or delay to the goods resulting from the negligence or other fault of the Company for any amount in excess of $50.00 per shipment (or the invoice value, if less) and any partial loss or damage for which the Company may be liable shall be adjusted pro rata on the basis of such valuation. The Customer has the option of paying a special compensation to increase the liability of the Company in excess of $50.00 per shipment in case of any loss, damage, expense, or delay from causes which would make the Company liable, but such option can be exercised only by specific written agreement made with the Company prior to shipment, which agreement shall indicate the limit of the Company's liability and the special compensation for the added liability by it to be assumed.
- Presenting Claims. In no event shall the Company be liable for any act, omission, or default by it in connection with an exportation or importation, unless a claim therefore shall be presented to it at its office within ninety (90) days from date of exportation or importation of the goods in a written statement to which sworn proof of claim shall be attached. No suit to recover for any claim or demand hereunder shall in any event be maintained against the Company unless instituted within six (6) months after presentation of the said claim as above provided. No agent or employee of the Company shall have authority to alter or waive any of the provisions of this clause.
- Liability of Company. It is agreed that any claim or demand for loss, damage, expense, or delay shall be only against the carriers, truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customhouse brokers, agents, warehousemen, or others in whose actual custody or control the goods may be at the time of such loss, damage, expense, or delay, and that the Company shall not be liable or responsible for any claim or demand from any cause whatsoever unless in each case the goods were in the actual custody or control of the Company and the damages alleged to have been suffered be proven to be caused by the negligence or other fault of the Company, its officers, or employees, in which event the limitation of liability set forth in paragraph 8 herein shall apply. The Company shall not in any circumstances be liable for consequential or punitive damages or damages arising from loss of profits and shall not be liable to the Customer for actual or statutory damages unless it is first proven that the Company actually had knowledge of the circumstances giving rise to such claims and the Company directly contributed to the act(s) allegedly causing such damage.
- Advancing Money. The Company shall not be obligated to incur any expense, guarantee any payment or advance any money in connection with the importing, forwarding, transporting, insuring storing or coopering of the goods, unless the same is previously provided to the Company by the Customer on demand. The Company shall be under no obligation to advance freight charges, customs duties or taxes on any shipment, nor shall any advance by the Company be construed as a waiver of the provisions hereof.
- Indemnification for Freight, Duties and Other Expenses. In the event that a carrier, other person or any governmental agency makes a claim or institutes legal action against the Company for ocean or other freight, duties, fines, penalties liquidated damages or other money due arising from a shipment of goods of the Customer, the Customer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company for any amount the Company may be required to pay such carrier, other person or governmental agency together with reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, incurred by the Company in connection with defending such claim or legal action and obtaining reimbursement from the Customer. The confiscation or detention of the goods by any governmental authority shall not effect or diminish the liability of the Customer to the Company to pay all charges or other money due promptly on demand.
- C.O.D. Shipments. Goods received with Customer's or other person's instructions to "Collect on Delivery" (C.O.D.) by drafts or otherwise, or collect to collect on any specified terms by time drafts or otherwise, are accepted by the Company only upon the express understanding that it will exercise reasonable care in the selection of a bank, correspondent, carrier or agent to whom it will send such an item for collection, and the Company will not be responsible for any act, omission, default, suspension, insolvency or want of care, negligence, or fault of such bank, correspondent, carrier or agent, nor for any delay in remittance lost in exchange, or loss during transmission, or while in the course of collection.
- General Lien on Any Property. The Company shall have a general and continuing lien on any and all property (and documents relating thereto) of the Customer coming into Air Tiger Express (USA), Inc's actual or constructive possession, custody or control or en route, for all claims for charges, expenses, or advances incurred by the Company in connection with any shipments of the Customer and if any claim remains unsatisfied for thirty (30) days after demand for its payment is made, the Company may sell at public auction or private sale, upon ten (10) days written notice to the Customer, the goods, wares and /or merchandise, or so much thereof as may be necessary to satisfy such lien, and apply the net proceeds of such sale to the payment of amount due the Company. Any surplus from such sale shall be transmitted to the Customer, and the Customer shall be liable to pay any deficiency remaining after the sale.
- Compensation of the Company. The compensation of the Company for its services shall be included with and is in addition to the rates and charges of all carriers and other agencies selected by the Company to transport and deal with the goods and such compensation shall be exclusive of any brokerage, commissions, dividends or other revenue received by the Company from carriers, insurers and others in connection with the shipment. On ocean exports, upon request, the Company shall provide detailed breakout of the components of all charges assessed and a true copy of each pertinent document relating to these charges. In any referral for collection or action against the Customer for monies due to the Company, the Customer shall pay the expenses of collection and/or litigation, including a reasonable attorney fee.
- No Responsibility for Governmental Requirements. It is the responsibility of the Customer to know and comply with the marking requirements of the U.S. Customs Service, the regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and all other requirements, including regulations of Federal, state and/or local agencies pertaining to the merchandise. The Company shall not be responsible for action taken or fines or penalties assessed by any governmental agency against the shipment because of the failure of the Customer to comply with the law or the requirements or regulations of any governmental agency or with a notification issued to the Customer by any such agency.
- Indemnity Against Liability Arising From the Importation of Merchandise. The Customer agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any claims and/or liability arising from the importation of merchandise which violates any Federal, state and/or other laws or regulations and further agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless against any and all liability, loss, damages, costs, claims and/or expenses, including but not limited to attorney's fees, which the Company may hereafter incur, suffer or be required to pay by reason of claims by any government agency or private party. In the event that any action, suit or proceeding is brought against the Company by any government agency or any private party, the Company shall give notice in writing to the Customer by mail at its address on file with the Company. Upon receipt of such notice, the Customer at its own expense shall defend against such action and take all steps as may be necessary or proper to prevent the obtaining of a judgment and/or order against the Company.
- Loss, Damage or Expense Due To Delay. Unless the services to be performed by the Company on behalf of the Customer are delayed by reason of negligence or other fault of the Company, the Company shall not be responsible for any loss, damage or expense incurred by the Customer because of such delay. In the event the Company is at fault, as aforesaid, its liability is limited in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 8-10 above.
- Construction of Terms and Venue. The foregoing terms and conditions shall be construed according to the laws of New York. Unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Company, any action in court relating to Company must have venue in Queens County, New York.
- Independent Contractors. Except for Customs entries and duties, we are independent contractors.
- Incomplete or Inaccurate Information. The submission of incomplete or inaccurate information related to any Customs entry or shipping/storage transaction, including descriptions, quantities, weights, dimension, purchase prices, discounts, commissions, changed selling prices at the time of exportation, assists, country of origin, etc., may make Customer liable for government or private penalties or sanctions. In the event the information provided to the Company or which appears on documents related to a transaction does not accurately reflect the entire transaction, it is essential that Customer immediately notify the Company so that it may attempt corrective action.