expediteurs

Expediteurs is the plural of expéditeur, referring to the party that originates or dispatches a shipment. In logistics and international trade, an expéditeur is the consignor or shipper of goods, and can be an individual, a company, or an intermediary such as a freight forwarder. The expéditeur initiates the transport and coordinates the process with carriers to move goods from the origin to the destination.

In relation to other actors, the expéditeur typically contracts with a carrier or many carriers to arrange transportation. Depending on the terms of sale and transport (for example, Incoterms), responsibilities and risks may shift between the expéditeur and the buyer or consignee as the goods move. The recipient of the goods is known as the consignee. The expéditeur may also work through a freight forwarder or logistics provider to manage documentation, routing, and customs compliance.

Key responsibilities of the expéditeur include providing accurate shipment data (origin, destination, quantities, weights, packaging), preparing essential documents (commercial invoice, packing list, export declarations, certificates of origin, licenses), ensuring proper packaging and labeling, and arranging or paying for the transportation and insurance where required. The expéditeur must comply with export controls, sanctions, and other regulatory requirements, and is often responsible for any penalties arising from misdeclarations or non-compliance.

In practice, expediteurs are common in domestic and international shipments, including e-commerce, manufacturing, and wholesale logistics. The term appears on transport documents such as bills of lading and customs forms, signaling the party responsible for initiating and authorizing the shipment.