General
Consignee
The party named in transport documents to receive the goods at destination. Often the buyer or importer responsible for import clearance unless terms state otherwise.
In depth
The consignee is the party named on the transport document as the one entitled to receive the goods at destination. On a bill of lading the consignee box determines who can claim the cargo, and the wording matters: naming a specific company creates a straight consignment released only to that party, while "to order" or "to order of shipper" creates a negotiable document that can be endorsed and transferred, which is what letter-of-credit transactions rely on. The consignee is not automatically the buyer or the importer of record — a forwarder or agent is sometimes named instead, with the true buyer shown as notify party.
Key points
- The party entitled to take delivery at destination
- Named consignee means a straight, non-negotiable release
- "To order" makes the bill of lading negotiable and transferable
- Not necessarily the buyer or the importer of record