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
The shipper is the party that contracts with the carrier to move the goods and appears in the shipper box on the bill of lading or air waybill. That position carries real obligations: declaring the cargo accurately, providing the VGM for containers, declaring dangerous goods correctly, and paying whatever charges the contract assigns. In everyday use "shipper" is often a loose synonym for the exporter or the cargo owner, but on the transport document it is a defined legal role. It also does not follow the Incoterm — a buyer purchasing EXW who books the carriage is the shipper on the bill of lading even though the seller owns the goods at collection.
Key points
- The party contracting with the carrier, named on the transport document
- Carries declaration duties including VGM and dangerous goods
- A defined legal role, not just a synonym for exporter
- Determined by who books the carriage, not by the Incoterm