What is a Consignee?

The recipient of the goods being shipped or transported. This person takes ownership of the goods once they have cleared customs, and is generally the one responsible for import duties and taxes.

The consignee may be the importer of record (or "Sold to") of the goods, but that is not always the case. They may also be called the "Ship to", receiver, client, or customer.

So why not just say "receiver"? This is because when shipping goods, we are actually consigning the goods to a freight carrier, who then transports those goods to the ultimate consignee. The right to receive the freight does not legally change until the person receiving the goods signs the bill of lading (BOL).

Related Terms

Consignor  Exporter  Importer of Record

Related FAQs

What are freight terms of sale?