SWIFT MT700 Field 44C and Its Relationship with UCP 600 Articles

Introduction

Field 44C (Latest Date of Shipment) is the optional MT700 deadline field under SWIFT SR2018, Category 7, expressed as a fixed six-digit date. Its SWIFT function is narrow: state the last date shipment may occur. UCP 600 gives that date its legal effect by deciding what counts as shipment, when a presentation falls outside time, and how a bank examines the documents against the deadline. The relationship is therefore between a SWIFT data point and the UCP articles that turn the date into a pass-or-fail test.

Failure Modes

Failure Mode 1: Shipment date cannot be established on the document

Even with a valid 44C, if the nominated transport document does not evidence a shipment date, the deadline cannot be applied.

Failure Mode 2: Article 14(d) conflict on the date

A transport document dated after 44C conflicts with the credit and fails examination.

Failure Mode 3: Presentation period breaches Article 33

A period for presentation that, combined with 44C, leaves no compliant window violates the presentation-time controls.

Failure Mode 4: MT701 states a conflicting date

A related MT701 must not conflict with the MT700; a divergent 44C undermines the deadline.

Failure Mode 5: Expiry set before 44C

The credit cannot be performed if the last shipment date precedes the expiry, an internal inconsistency the articles expose.

Resolution

1. State 44C clearly as a 6!n date when a latest shipment date is required.
2. Identify which Article 20-28 document evidences the shipment date.
3. Set the credit expiry after 44C to preserve a presentation window.
4. Align the presentation period in 48 with Article 33 limits.
5. Examine the transport document date under Article 14(d).
6. Confirm no related MT701 conflicts with 44C.
7. Record the date chain so the article basis is auditable.

Conclusion

Field 44C is the SWIFT expression of a shipment deadline; Article 33 and Article 14 are the UCP controls that give it force and test compliance. The two belong together: a credit is workable when 44C nests inside the presentation and expiry controls, and a presentation is sound when the document's shipment date respects 44C without conflict.

FAQ

Which UCP articles govern 44C?
Primarily Article 33 (presentation timing) and Article 14 (examination and conflict), supported by Articles 20-28 for establishing the shipment date on each document.

Does 44C control the expiry date?
No. The expiry is a separate field; 44C must simply sit earlier than it so presentation remains possible.

What establishes the shipment date for 44C purposes?
The applicable transport-document article (20-28) determines which date on the document evidences shipment.

Can an MT701 change the latest shipment date?
No. A related MT701 must not conflict with the MT700. A different 44C in an MT701 is impermissible.

Is 44C required for every credit?
No. SWIFT marks it Optional; a credit without a latest shipment date relies on other time controls being coherent.

Source Notes

• SWIFT SR2018, Category 7, MT700 field 44C (Optional, 6!n, latest date of shipment). Context only.
• UCP 600 Article 33 and Article 14. Context only.
• MT700 usage rules on related MT701 content. Context only.