Responsibility for what is in the box
The shipper answers for what goes in the box and how it is described. It must describe the cargo accurately, declare dangerous goods under the IMDG Code with the correct documents, and pack and secure the load. Under SOLAS it also provides the verified gross mass. On a sealed full container, the carrier takes the contents as declared, so a wrong description usually stays the shipper's problem.
Exporter, BCO or intermediary
People use the word for three different parties. Commercially it often means the exporter or seller. In US ocean shipping it can also mean the beneficial cargo owner (BCO), the company that owns the goods and may sign its own contracts with carriers. On paper, the shipper is whoever the bill names, which on a master bill is often an NVOCC. Check which meaning a contract or rate sheet uses.
Origin steps the shipper controls
Most early milestones depend on the shipper. Empty pickup, packing, the gate-in before the cargo cut-off, and the shipping instructions and VGM all happen on its side, so a slow origin often traces back to one of them. An importer can save the container number in CargoScope as soon as the shipper shares it, so the gate-in and loading milestones appear as the carrier reports them.
Example
An apparel maker near Dhaka is the shipper on the B/L: it books the space, packs and seals the container, submits the shipping instructions and declares the VGM.
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Questions
What does Shipper mean?
The shipper is the party that contracts with a carrier to move goods and appears as shipper on the bill of lading. It is often the exporter or seller, but a forwarder or NVOCC can fill the role.
Is the shipper the same as the seller?
Usually the seller, but not always. A forwarder, an NVOCC or the seller's agent can be named as shipper, and under some sale terms the buyer books and pays for the main freight.
What does "shipper's load, stow and count" mean?
It means the shipper packed and counted the cargo without the carrier checking it. The bill then describes the contents as declared, not as verified by the carrier.