The PI says 5,000 pieces in one shipment. Capacity is tight, a color is late, or the container does not fill. The factory ships 2,800 “first” and tells you the rest is two weeks behind. You now have a short container, two balances, two inspections, and a retailer who expected one arrival. If the PI never said whether partials are allowed — and how they are paid — that split is not a favor. It is an unwritten change order.
This piece is how to put partial shipments on the page before they happen.
1. Say yes or no, not “we’ll see”
One line is enough if it is binary:
- Partial shipments not allowed — one lot, one ship event, one set of documents
- Partial shipments allowed — then the rest of this article applies
Silence is not a ban. A factory under pressure will treat silence as permission. If you need the full quantity for a launch, write the ban. If you would rather take what is ready than wait for the last carton, write the allow — with rules.
2. Each partial needs its own clock and its own money
Do not leave one deposit and one balance hanging over two sailings. For each allowed partial, state:
- minimum quantity that may ship alone
- the ship event for that lot (same definition you use for on-time: ex-works ready or B/L date)
- how the deposit is allocated (pro-rata against what actually ships)
- when the balance for that lot is due — usually against that lot’s documents and, if you inspect, that lot’s report
A single “70% against B/L” on a split order is how you pay for cargo that has not been made yet, or withhold money for cargo that already sailed.
3. Inspection and claims follow the lot, not the original PO total
If you inspect, say whether each partial is inspected on its own. A pass on the first 2,800 does not bless the remaining 2,200. A fail on the tail should not automatically condemn the lot already at sea — unless you write that it does (rarely what you want).
The arrival-claim window should start per lot from that lot’s arrival, not from the first carton of the original order.
4. Documents must not invent one shipment
Packing list, invoice, and marks should show the quantity actually in that container. Do not let the factory reuse the original “5,000 pcs” description on a 2,800-piece B/L to look consistent with the PI. That mismatch is a customs and L/C problem. If an L/C is involved, the credit itself must allow partials; a PI that allows them cannot override a credit that forbids them.
The bottom line
Partials are either forbidden or they are a second, smaller contract riding on the same PI: quantity floor, ship date, deposit split, balance trigger, inspection, and documents for that lot. If you only wrote one number and one date, the factory will invent the split when they cannot fill the box.
If you need partial-shipment wording written into the PI in English and Chinese, I can prepare the clause and issue a stamped set under our bilingual translation company seal when you need one. See what this covers.
Whether partials are allowed also depends on the letter of credit and the freight booking, not only the PI. This article is general sourcing guidance, not legal or customs advice.