Section 1 — Definition of “paper trade document”

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

This version in force from 2023-09-20

Snapshot: 2026-08-24

Reproduced from legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). Amendments made after 2026-08-24 may not be reflected — always check the official text .

(1) A document is a “paper trade document” for the purposes of this Act if—

(a) it is in paper form,

(b) it is a document of a type commonly used in at least one part of the United Kingdom in connection with—

(i) trade in or transport of goods, or

(ii) financing such trade or transport, and

(c) possession of the document is required as a matter of law or commercial custom, usage or practice for a person to claim performance of an obligation.

(2) The following are examples of documents that are commonly used as mentioned in subsection (1)(b)—

(a) a bill of exchange;

(b) a promissory note;

(d) a ship’s delivery order;

(e) a warehouse receipt;

(f) a mate’s receipt;

(g) a marine insurance policy;

(h) a cargo insurance certificate.