MT700 Field 43T: Relationship with UCP

Introduction

Field 43T is the SWIFT vehicle for the transhipment instruction in a documentary credit. UCP 600 gives that instruction its legal content: when transhipment is permitted, prohibited, or left to default, and how the examining bank treats transport documents that show it. The field and the rules describe one shipment obligation from two angles.

Failure Mode Analysis

Failure Mode 1: Field blank, default assumed wrongly

43T is omitted and the beneficiary assumes prohibition, while UCP 600 default permits transhipment in defined cases. Planning rests on the wrong rule.

Failure Mode 2: Non-code entry

A descriptive phrase replaces the defined code, so the field cannot be validated as Option T and the permission is unclear.

Failure Mode 3: Document data contradicts the instruction

43T permits transhipment but the transport document evidence is read under Articles 20–28 as inconsistent with the stated movement, raising an examination issue.

Failure Mode 4: Routing clause uneintegrated

A required document's routing wording is not tied to 43T, so a transhipment appearance's Article 41(a) effect is disputed.

Failure Mode 5: Duplication in MT701

The instruction is repeated in an MT701, creating a secondary source that may diverge from 43T.

Deterministic Resolution Architecture

1. Decide the policy and encode it in 43T with the correct code.
2. Validate the code under Option T (11x).
3. If 43T is omitted, record the applicable UCP 600 default in the file.
4. Reconcile the 44-series routing with the transhipment permission.
5. Bind required transport document clauses to the 43T value and Articles 20–28.
6. Direct the examining bank to check documents under Article 41(a) and Articles 20–28.
7. Keep the instruction only in 43T; never repeat it in an MT701.
8. Store the resolved policy for presentation review and disputes.
9. Amend 43T only through a proper amendment, then revalidate the code.

Conclusion

Field 43T is the SWIFT form of the UCP 600 transhipment rule under Article 41(a), applied through Articles 20–28. A sound 43T uses a defined code, matches the routing and document clauses, and lives only in the MT700. Absent the field, the UCP 600 default governs by rule, not by guess. Changes require amendment.

FAQ

What UCP provisions back 43T?
Article 41(a) with Articles 20–28.

Is 43T required?
No, it is optional; omission invokes the UCP 600 default.

Can I write a sentence in 43T?
No. Use the defined 11x code; prose is non-conforming.

How is transhipment evidenced?
By the transport documents reviewed under Articles 20–28.

Does 43T override a document clause?
No. The clause and 43T must agree; a conflict must be cured.

May 43T be copied into an MT701?
No. Its content must not be repeated in a related MT701.

Source Notes

• Context only: SWIFT SR2018 Category 7, MT700 field 43T specification (Option T 11x, optional, codes; non-repetition in MT701).
• Context only: UCP 600 Article 41(a) (Transhipment) and Articles 20–28.