Field 43T Transhipment in Letter of Credit

Field 43T Transhipment is an optional field in MT700 type SWFT msg.

This field indicates whether the Transhipment is allowed or not under this letter of credit.

What is Transhpment?

Trnashipment is the shipment of goods using multiple modes of transportation or multiple intermediate destinations.

For example Products in containers come from China to Bangladesh via Transhipment point at Srilanka/Malaysia/Singapore port. The primary vessel unloads the containers to the transshipment port and then loads them again on another vessel to the final destination.

According to UCP 600 Article 24

For the purpose of this article, transhipment means unloading from one means of conveyance and reloading to another means of conveyance, within the same mode of transport, during the carriage from the place of shipment, dispatch or carriage to the place of destination stated in the credit.

Why do you need Transhipment?

It depends upon the type of goods, POD routes, vessel types, etc.

For example bulk vessels from Tianjin, China to CTG, Bangladesh don’t need transshipment as it comes directly from POL to POD.

But the container vessel couldn’t come to CTG, Bangladesh directly due to the draught in POD. Bigger vessels can’t accommodate in CTG, BD port.

Another case is if the Incoterm is DAP/DDP Buyer’s premise, then the mode of conveyance might need to be changed. First, it may come by vessel, then load to trailer/lorry and finally delivered at buyer’s premise.
Sometimes the mother vessel can’t reach the final destination, so the product may be offloaded to the lighter vessel. So tnashipment is needed.
There might be other reasons like consolidation of goods in bigger vessels or using delivery hub etc. The same transport mode may be used or multiple transport modes also can be used.

Considering all the above options, buyer and seller allow transhipment in the LC.