Shipper

In most trades the shipper is the exporter: it books transport directly or through a forwarder, prepares the cargo and export documents, and hands the goods over at origin. Under some Incoterms rules, such as EXW, the buyer arranges the main carriage and its forwarder may take on much of the shipper's role at origin. In road freight under the CMR Convention the same party is called the sender, and many documents use “consignor” as a synonym.

The shipper on a document is not always the cargo owner. On a house bill of lading the shipper is the actual exporter, but on the master bill the forwarder or NVOCC usually appears as shipper, because it holds the contract with the shipping line. This matters for legal obligations tied to that name, such as the verified gross mass, which falls on whoever is named as shipper on the carrier's document.

The shipper is responsible for accurate cargo information: a correct description, weights, dangerous goods declarations and packing fit for the journey. Misdeclared cargo can lead to fines, rejected bookings, or liability if it causes damage to the ship or to other cargo. Forwarders check the shipper's details against the commercial invoice and the sales contract, because a bank or customs authority may reject documents on which the names do not match.