Freight forwarder
A company that arranges and coordinates the shipment of goods on behalf of others, handling carriage, documentation, and customs.
A freight forwarder is a company that organizes the movement of cargo on behalf of shippers, arranging transport with airlines, ocean carriers, and trucking companies and handling the documentation, customs paperwork, and routing that a shipment needs to move from origin to destination. Forwarders usually do not own the planes or ships; they book space and coordinate the handoffs.
In ocean shipping, forwarders that arrange transport for US exports are regulated as ocean transportation intermediaries by the Federal Maritime Commission. Because forwarders sit between manufacturers and carriers, they are a key link in any military supply chain: they are the firms that physically arrange to route the cargo, which is why logistics is often the most exposed point in the chain.
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Cite this page: Break the Chain (NYC-DSA Anti-War Working Group), "Freight forwarder," Arms-Trade and Logistics Glossary. https://wecanbreakthechain.com/glossary/freight-forwarder/
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The paper trail ends at the loading dock. Break the Chain documents the NYC-area companies that move the cargo, each with a documented role and a published source, and publishes the research as it lands.