General
Shipper
The party that tenders cargo to the carrier or forwarder for transport. On documents may be the exporter, manufacturer, or freight forwarder acting on their behalf.
In depth
“Shipper” on a B/L is the party that contracted with the carrier or tendered the cargo, not always the factory owner. Forwarders frequently appear as shipper on MBLs while the actual supplier is shipper on the HBL. Banks scrutinise shipper/consignee consistency under L/Cs.
Key points
- Contractual party to carrier on the transport document
- May differ from manufacturer in drop-ship and FOB sales
- L/Cs may restrict third-party shippers: check UCP 600
- Shipper name errors are common cause of document discrepancies