Every supply chain has multiple involved parties from end to end. Here’s an overview of the parties typically involved in the shipping process.
Involved Parties Along The Supply Chain
Manufacturer
The manufacturer is the party that creates the goods – the party that produced or made the cargo. This is important to know as US customs needs to know the maker of the product.
Consignor
The consignor is the party that sells the cargo, and is usually a shipper.
Consignee
The consignee is the party that orders the cargo, and is usually a buyer in transportation documents such as bill of lading. The consignee is the owner of the cargo for the purpose of filing customs declaration and paying duties and taxes. The consignee’s address is typically where the cargo will be deliver to unless otherwise instructed.
Customs Agent
A customs agent is a person or firm that holds knowledge of import and export law. The customs agent holds a license to submit all documents for clearing cargo through customs and help importers pay duties.
Origin & Destination Agent
The origin agent is either a person or company that arranges shipments at the origin port. Likewise, the destination agent is either a person or company that arranges shipments after it arrives at the destination port.
Freight Forwarder
A freight forwarder is either a person or company that arranges shipments for corporations to get goods from the warehouse to the customer/final location.
Shipping Carrier
The shipping carrier is the shipping line or airline that will physically move the cargo.
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(Whew! That’s a lot of involved parties. Thankfully, you can collaborate easily across your supply chain with the Shippabo platform.)