Shipment Clause

The Shipment Clause is one of the core clauses in an international trade contract. It mainly stipulates the time, place, method, means of transport, shipping notice, and shipping documents for the shipment of goods. It directly affects whether the seller can deliver the goods on time and whether the buyer can receive the goods promptly, and is therefore a key point in negotiations between the buyer and seller. It is used in contracts under trade terms such as FOB, CIF, and CFR. Points to note: the shipment time should be clear and specific (e.g., 'shipment no later than June 30, 2025'), avoiding vague expressions such as 'immediate shipment'; the port of shipment and port of destination must be clear; whether partial shipment and transshipment are allowed should be expressly stipulated; the time limit and method of shipping notice should also be agreed. Differences from other terms: the shipment clause is different from the delivery clause; under symbolic delivery terms (such as CIF), shipment is deemed delivery, but the two concepts are still different; the shipment clause is also different from the payment clause, but the two often need to be linked, such as payment against the bill of lading after shipment.