Wrong box

Two consignments, each of 712 cartons of children’s shoes, were carried on the same ship from Shanghai to Kotka, Finland, under two bills of lading with similar numbers.  When the Shanghai agent was authorised by the shipper of one consignment to release it without surrender of the original bill of  lading, he gave the Finnish agent the wrong bill of lading number.  The unpaid shipper claimed US$ 45,000 from the carrier who claimed reimbursement from the Chinese agent.