Partial Shipment

Partial shipment refers to the shipment of goods under the same order in multiple lots, at different times or in different batches, rather than all at once, as permitted by the letter of credit or contract. It is common in scenarios such as long production cycles, insufficient inventory, tight shipping space, or when the buyer requests delivery in installments. Key points: if the L/C does not explicitly allow partial shipment, it is prohibited by default; if allowed, the number of batches, shipment time and amount for each batch must be specified to avoid confusion with 'installment payment'. It differs from 'transshipment', which refers to the transfer of goods from one means of transport to another during transit and does not involve splitting the order. Under partial shipment, each batch must comply with the L/C terms, otherwise the bank may refuse payment. In addition, if one batch is not shipped on time, it may affect subsequent batches or even the validity of the entire order. Therefore, the contract should clearly specify the details of partial shipment, document requirements, and breach handling.