The manual BL process on CMA CGM
A CMA CGM BL cycle runs from draft BL notification through review, amendment, and final release — with per-country fee structures that change the cost calculus at each step.
- 01
Receive draft BL notification
My CMA CGM sends an email or online notification when the draft BL is available on the document dashboard. The draft can be viewed, downloaded, and printed from the portal.
Pain pointCMA CGM does not publish a draft BL turnaround SLA — the time from SI submission to draft availability depends on the origin port, local documentation team workload, and submission channel. Unlike Maersk's 2-hour Verify Copy target, there is no published baseline to plan against.
- 02
Review draft BL on document dashboard
Download the draft BL from the My CMA CGM document dashboard. Cross-reference every field against the original SI, booking confirmation, and LC terms (if applicable): shipper, consignee, notify party details, cargo description, weights, container and seal numbers, port pair, and freight terms.
Pain pointThis is a manual comparison across multiple documents with no automated diff. Under volume, discrepancies in party name spelling, address formatting, or goods description wording are easy to miss.
- 03
Identify discrepancies and prepare corrections
Compare BL party details, cargo description, weights, and container information against source documents. For LC shipments, verify goods description matches LC terms character-for-character — even minor wording differences trigger discrepancies at the negotiating bank.
- 04
Submit amendment request
Submit corrections through the My CMA CGM eBusiness portal. Track the amendment count against per-country fee thresholds: Germany charges EUR 50/BL from the 2nd amendment before call closure (effective 15 February 2025, replacing the previous rule of charging only after the 3rd amendment). France charges EUR 25/amendment after the first free one.
Pain pointCMA CGM's per-country fee structure means ops staff must know the local rules to predict amendment costs. Germany's threshold change on 15 February 2025 caught forwarders who were accustomed to three free amendments.
- 05
Choose BL type and finalize
Select Original BL, Sea Waybill, or Telex Release. The BL type decision has downstream implications for cargo release at destination. Sea Waybill-to-OBL conversion after issuance requires a re-issuance process involving OBL surrender, adding time and cost.
Pain pointThe BL type conversion process after issuance is not as clearly documented on CMA CGM as the irrevocable BL type lock on MSC. But conversion still requires re-issuance with OBL surrender — a process that adds days.
- 06
Coordinate telex release (if applicable)
Surrender the original BL at the origin CMA CGM office. The destination office is then authorized to release cargo without presentation of originals. Track status until the destination confirms release.
- 07
Handle post-departure amendments
Post-closure amendments in Germany trigger a EUR 125/BL Manifest Amendment Fee plus potential customs fines and costs at the destination. Change of Destination requires surrender of the full set of OBLs, a Letter of Indemnity on the shipper's letterhead, and approval from both CMA CGM headquarters and the port of destination. Change of Shipment Parties requires the same OBL surrender and LOI process, with charges applied and destination customs fines remaining the customer's liability.
Where CMA CGM BL errors happen
The most common CMA CGM BL rejection, fee, and rework triggers, based on published fee structures and operational patterns across freight forwarder ops desks.
Amendment fee escalation from multiple correction rounds
CommonMultiple rounds of corrections on the same BL trigger per-country fee thresholds. Germany charges EUR 50/BL from the 2nd amendment before call closure (effective 15 February 2025). France charges EUR 25/amendment after the first free one. Three rounds of corrections on a single BL in Germany cost EUR 100 in amendment fees alone.
Post-closure amendment triggering manifest fee
OccasionalAmendment submitted after vessel departure triggers the Manifest Amendment Fee — EUR 125/BL in Germany — plus potential customs fines and costs at the destination port. The fee is unavoidable once the vessel has sailed, regardless of submission channel.
Late OBL pick-up fee
OccasionalGermany's CMA CGM office charges for Original BLs not collected within 10 calendar days after vessel departure. Ops teams that delay OBL collection — waiting for LC negotiation or internal routing — trigger this fee without realizing the clock is ticking from the departure date.
BL type conversion after issuance
OccasionalChanging from Sea Waybill to Original BL or vice versa after the transport document has been issued requires a re-issuance process with OBL surrender. This adds days to the documentation cycle and incurs additional charges. The decision should be locked before BL issuance.
Incomplete OBL set blocking Change of Destination
OccasionalChange of Destination requires surrender of the full set of OBLs at the CMA CGM office, plus a Letter of Indemnity on the shipper's letterhead and approval from both headquarters and the port of destination. If any copy of the OBL set (1/3, 2/3, 3/3) is missing or in transit, the COD process stalls.
Brand/SCAC mismatch on BL
OccasionalBL issued under CMDU (CMA CGM) but booking was created under APLU (APL) or ANNU (ANL). Different BL prefixes, different local agency teams handling the documentation. A SCAC mismatch routes the amendment to the wrong team, causing delays.
Cross-document inconsistency
CommonBL party details, cargo description, or container information does not match the SI, VGM declaration, or DG documentation. Inconsistencies trigger rejection at the carrier level or customs holds at the destination. The risk is highest when booking amendments were made after SI submission but the BL was not updated to reflect the changes.
How Expedion agents handle CMA CGM BLs
Expedion agents automate the end-to-end CMA CGM BL workflow, from draft BL retrieval to final release.
Agents pull draft BLs from the My CMA CGM document dashboard as soon as they are published, cross-reference every field against the SI, LC requirements (where applicable), and the forwarder's internal records. Discrepancies are surfaced with specific field-level callouts to the forwarder's reviewer before any correction is submitted.
Agents track the amendment count against per-country fee thresholds (Germany: first free, EUR 50/BL from 2nd onwards pre-closure; France: EUR 25/amendment after first free). All identified corrections are batched into a single amendment where possible to minimize cost. Digital channel submission avoids manual processing surcharges.
Agents verify telex release eligibility (OBL status, destination-country rules), prepare the release request on the CMA CGM portal, and track status until the destination office confirms cargo release. For consignees who require Original BLs, agents track the physical document chain.
Agents surface the BL type decision (OBL, Sea Waybill, Telex Release) to the forwarder with implications for cargo release at the destination, based on the specific trade lane and consignee requirements. Conversion risks after issuance are flagged before the BL type is locked.
Agents verify that BL party details, cargo description, weights, and container information match across the SI, booking confirmation, VGM declaration, and any DG documentation. Inconsistencies are caught before amendment submission.
Any amendment that would trigger post-closure fees (EUR 125/BL in Germany, plus potential customs fines) is flagged to the forwarder's reviewer with the fee impact explicitly stated before submission. The forwarder decides whether to proceed.
Agents track physical OBL distribution and collection timelines to avoid late pick-up fees (Germany: charged for originals not collected 10+ calendar days after departure). Collection deadline warnings are surfaced to the ops team.
CMA CGM BL amendment fee schedule
CMA CGM's BL amendment fees are per-country, not global. The table below consolidates published fee data from documented geographies.
| Geography | Pre-Closure Amendment | Post-Closure Amendment | Other Fees | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | First free, EUR 50/BL from 2nd (eff. 15 Feb 2025) | EUR 125/BL | Late BL pick-up: charged for originals not collected 10+ days after departure | CMA CGM Germany local charges PDF |
| France | Per local schedule | Charged after departure | First booking amendment free, then EUR 25/amendment | CMA CGM France local charges PDF |
| Singapore | E-BL amendment fee per BL (eff. June 2024) | Manual BL amendment fee | Booking cancellation $80/container (<7 days before departure) | CMA CGM Singapore local charges PDF |
TMS compatibility for CMA CGM BL
Expedion agents manage CMA CGM BL workflows from within your existing TMS. For CargoWise users, agents ingest draft BLs and submit amendments via the eAdaptor API. For GoFreight and Magaya, agents use the respective REST and Open APIs to pull draft BL data, push amendment requests, and track OBL status. CMA CGM's document dashboard serves as the carrier-side source of truth for draft BL retrieval.
Full TMS compatibility details are on the CMA CGM overview page.
Related pages
CMA CGM carrier pages: Overview · Booking · Shipping instructions · Documentation · Tracking & visibility
BL across carriers: Maersk bill of lading · MSC bill of lading · Hapag-Lloyd bill of lading · ONE bill of lading · COSCO bill of lading · Evergreen bill of lading
Solutions: BL management
Glossary: Bill of Lading · Telex Release
Frequently asked questions
What is CMA CGM's BL amendment fee structure?
CMA CGM's BL amendment fees are per-country, not global. In Germany, the first amendment before call closure is free, the 2nd amendment onwards costs EUR 50/BL (effective 15 February 2025), and amendments after call closure cost EUR 125/BL (Manifest Amendment Fee). France charges EUR 25/amendment after the first free one. Singapore applies E-BL and Manual BL amendment fees per its local schedule. The per-country variation means forwarders must check the fee schedule for the specific CMA CGM office handling their documentation.
Does CMA CGM publish a draft BL turnaround SLA?
No. CMA CGM does not publish a guaranteed turnaround time from SI submission to draft BL availability. Neither does MSC or Hapag-Lloyd — Maersk is the only top-4 carrier that publishes a target (2-hour Verify Copy). On CMA CGM, turnaround depends on the origin port, local documentation team workload, and submission channel. Expedion agents monitor the My CMA CGM document dashboard continuously and begin the review process as soon as the draft appears.
How does telex release work on CMA CGM?
CMA CGM supports electronic cargo release (telex release) as an alternative to physical OBL surrender. The shipper surrenders the original BL at the origin CMA CGM office, after which the destination office is authorized to release cargo without presentation of originals. Specific telex release fees are not documented in a single global schedule — they follow the same per-country pattern as amendment fees.
What is the Change of Destination process on CMA CGM?
Change of Destination requires surrender of the full set of OBLs at the CMA CGM office, a Letter of Indemnity on the shipper's letterhead, and approval from both CMA CGM headquarters and the port of destination. COD costs are advised after completing formalities. The process is materially more involved than a standard BL amendment — it requires coordination across multiple CMA CGM offices and can take days.
How do APL (APLU) BLs differ from CMA CGM (CMDU) BLs?
APL BLs use the APLU prefix while CMA CGM BLs use CMDU. Both flow through the same My CMA CGM eBusiness platform and API infrastructure, but may route through different local agency teams. A booking under APL SCAC APLU versus CMA CGM SCAC CMDU can involve different documentation contacts even when the vessel and service string are identical. Forwarders must verify the SCAC and brand alignment at booking stage to ensure BL amendments route to the correct team.
What triggers a post-closure amendment fee on CMA CGM?
Any BL amendment submitted after vessel departure (call closure) triggers the Manifest Amendment Fee — EUR 125/BL in Germany — plus potential customs fines and additional costs at the destination port. The fee applies regardless of submission channel. Expedion agents flag any amendment that would fall into the post-closure window before submission, giving the forwarder the chance to complete corrections while the pre-closure rate still applies.