The notify party is the contact named on the bill of lading whom the carrier or its agent informs when the shipment arrives, via the arrival notice. It is an information role with no title to the goods: often the importer’s customs broker, forwarder, or the importer itself.
The field exists because the consignee box is not always the operational contact: it may be a bank, or “to order”. Naming the working-level party ensures the arrival notice lands where action happens: entry filing, charge payment, delivery booking.
Bills often allow a second notify party, and letters of credit sometimes prescribe exactly who must appear. A wrong or stale notify party is a classic cause of containers arriving unannounced and sliding into demurrage.
The notify mechanism is one email at one moment; tracking is the always-on version. Following the vessel and container in TrackingMCP gives the notify party’s function, knowing arrival is imminent, to everyone in the chain continuously, so a missed notice no longer means a missed vessel. Arrival-side context sits on the port pages.
The notify party is the contact named on the bill of lading whom the carrier or its agent informs when the shipment arrives, via the arrival notice. It is an information role with no title to the goods: often the importer’s customs broker, forwarder, or the importer itself.
Not by virtue of being notify party. Release follows the consignee’s rights and the bill’s terms; the notify party can act only if separately authorised, for example as the consignee’s agent.
The party who acts on arrival: typically the customs broker or destination forwarder, with the importer as second notify. Under a letter of credit, follow its precise requirements.
Track arrivals continuously →
Port arrival pages →
More in Parties & roles: Freight forwarder · NVOCC · Forwarder vs NVOCC vs carrier · Customs broker · Shipper · Consignee · Beneficial cargo owner (BCO) · Browse all 106 terms →