Ocean freight forwarder vs. NVOCC: what's the difference?

Both ocean freight forwarders and NVOCCs fall under the umbrella term "ocean transportation intermediary" (OTI), and the same company is often licensed as both. The distinction is about the role each plays in a given shipment, not necessarily two different kinds of company.

A freight forwarderacts as an agent for the shipper: arranging transportation, handling documentation, and coordinating logistics, but without issuing its own bill of lading as the carrier. The forwarder is working on the shipper's behalf, not taking on carrier liability.

An NVOCC, by contrast, acts as the carrier from the shipper's perspective — it issues its own bill of lading and takes on contractual responsibility for the cargo, even though it doesn't operate the vessel. It then books the actual ocean transport with a vessel-operating carrier.

Why it matters: the party you contract with determines who is liable for the shipment and how claims are handled. When evaluating a provider, it's worth asking directly whether they're acting as your agent (forwarder) or as the carrier (NVOCC) for a given shipment.

You can browse both types of provider in the directory.