By issuing an FCT document, the forwarder confirms that he has been charged with a specific consignment with a view to its shipment, and assigned with its delivery in accordance with the instructions of the principal as stated in the document.
On the one hand, the forwarder is thus responsible for delivering the goods, to their destination, using the consignee of his choice, in the hands of the carrier of the FCT.
On the other hand, the General Belgian Forwarding Conditions are printed on the reverse side of the FCT and it is expressly stated that the subscriber of the document is acting in the capacity of a commission agent- forwarder and not as a carrier.
Our jurisprudence would undoubtedly consider the author of such a document to be a commission agent - forwarder, legally assimilated to a carrier.
For this reason, we have never introduced the document in Belgium, as it would give rise to confusion and could have a negative impact on our jurisprudence vis-à-vis the forwarder.
Finally, since the FCT is not an actual transport document, it only performs the same functions as an FCR.
This is a receipt that may be used by the forwarder for operations carried out in its capacity as warehouse keeper. In the first instance, most forwarders, who store goods, have their own documents. Some banks require proof of storage in accordance with their own terms.
Secondly, there is no uniformity between storage conditions in Belgium and Worldwide Conditions do not exist. The reverse side of the document is therefore left blank.
FIATA itself describes the FWR as a uniform document, mainly for use at national level. We encountered little interest in the document in Belgium.
