[Request for Review of GSA Disallowance of Carrier's Claim]

A firm requested that GAO review the General Services Administration's (GSA) disallowance of a motor carrier's claim for additional transportation charges, contending that the government bill of lading (GBL) could not be applied to foreign military sales shipments. GAO found that: (1) the claimant's rate tariff provided for a 25-percent increase in basic freight charges if the shipper failed to provide a written declaration of value; (2) even though the government did not execute a written declaration of the property's value, the provisions governing the GBL satisfied the tariff requirement for a written certification of value; and (3) the shipment of foreign military commodities was authorized under the Arms Export Control Act and, therefore, the terms and conditions governing the acceptance and use of a GBL were applicable to the foreign shipments. Accordingly, the GSA disallowance of the claim was sustained.