The purpose of this article is to discuss the function of transport documents, deriving from Article 35 of the Rotterdam Rules, which is the new Convention drafted by the United Nations for the international carriage of goods wholly or partly by sea. Although, as the title shows, this is a carriage Convention, it is strongly believed that the Rotterdam Rules will also have an impact on international trade, as the sale contract is the alma mater of all shipping contracts. In the following paper, the function of the transport document will be compared with the mate’s receipt in order to identify controversies, which traders should be aware of when concluding their sale, carriage and letters of credit contracts after the Rotterdam Rules come into force.