Shipper’s Letter of Instruction (SLI)
Category: Documents
Also searched as: Shipper letter of instruction
Definition (plain English)
Instructions from the shipper to the forwarder covering export filing, parties, routing, documents, cargo details, and release requirements.
Why it matters commercially
SLI errors can create wrong export filings, wrong BL data, missed document requirements, and payment-document disputes.
Example
The exporter updated the SLI after finance required freight prepaid wording and a specific notify party for LC documents.
Common mistake
Letting the forwarder infer export and BL instructions from emails instead of issuing a complete approved SLI.
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