Consignee to order意思
"Consignee to order" is a term used in the context of shipping and logistics, specifically in the field of bills of lading (BL), which are documents that serve as a contract of carriage, a receipt for goods, and a document of title.
When a bill of lading is consigned "to order," it means that the document does not name a specific consignee (the party who is to receive the goods) but rather authorizes the holder of the bill of lading to transfer the goods to another party by endorsement and delivery of the bill of lading.
Here's a breakdown of the term:
- Consignee: The consignee is the party named on the bill of lading to whom the goods are to be delivered.
- To order: When the consignee is indicated as "to order," it means that the person who holds the bill of lading can dispose of the goods by transferring the bill of lading to another party.
In practice, this might work as follows:
- The shipper (the party who is sending the goods) issues a bill of lading with the consignee named as "to order."
- The holder of the bill of lading (which could be the shipper, a bank, or another party) can endorse the bill of lading (sign it over) to another party.
- By endorsing the bill of lading, the holder transfers the right to receive the goods to the endorsee (the party to whom the bill of lading is endorsed).
- The endorsee can then present the bill of lading to the carrier (the shipping company) to claim the goods.
This method allows for flexibility in the distribution chain, as the goods can be sold or transferred before they are delivered without the need for a physical change of ownership. It's often used in conjunction with letters of credit in international trade, where banks may require that the bill of lading be made out "to order" to facilitate the financing process.