Freight, shipping and chartering glossary

Products; commercial products and services.

A code describing a commodity or a group of commodities pertaining to goods classification. This code can be carrier tariff or regulating in nature.

A group of vessel operators joined for the purpose of establishing freight rates.

This surcharge is dependent on unusual events, e.g. strikes, bad winter, major port fires.

Freight sent under a single contract of carriage.

Collection and storage of small consignments from several consignors for their subsequent transportation by one transport document.

The location where consolidation takes place.

A bill of lading issued by a consolidating freight forwarder to a shipper.

Devices for transporting containers for ship or other operations.

A storage area, other than a container yard, where shippers and consignees may pick up or drop off empty containers.

A carrier-designated facility at which LCL cargo is received from consignors for consolidation and loading into containers or at which LCL cargo is unloaded from containers and delivered to consignees.

An identifier assigned to a container by a carrier.

An area intended for storing goods in containers, usually delivered by road, rail, and sea, where containers are picked up, dropped off, maintained and housed.

A place for handling/storage of materials used for fully unified cargo in containers and/or empty containers.

Cargo that is prohibited.

Same as the FCA, but insurance is added for the seller’s account on a definite part of the route. The shipping section covered by insurance can be any.

The same as CFR, but insurance is added for the seller’s account on a definite part of the route. The shipping section covered by insurance can be any.

An umbrella term for several sorts of trade in which the seller is required to accept goods or other instruments or trade, in partial or whole payment for its products.

The carrying capacity of a container according to measurement in cubic feet, cubic centimeters or cubic meters.

The document containing the calculation of the amount of security and confirming the introduction of security for customs payments in the form of a bank guarantee, pledge agreement or guarantee.

The bond protects the US government should an importer not pay any duties, penalties, etc. either while the goods are in CBP custody or after release.

The procedure provided for by the customs legislation of the country related to the import/export of goods and vehicles. Customs clearance includes: a) customs clearance, b) payment of customs duties, c) all types of administrative actions related to the legalization of cargo.

Duty on imports to the US may apply

Payment charged by customs when importing or exporting goods.

Navigation of a commercial cargo or passenger ship between seaports of the same state.

(1) A secure enclosed area for storing highly valuable items, (2) a pallet-sized platform with sides that can be secured to the tines of a forklift and in which a person may ride to inventory items stored well above the warehouse floor.

A document allowing special categories of goods to cross international borders without paying duties. This document is issued by customs.

The seller arranges the delivery to the indicated place and includes it in the goods price. As a rule, such a place is a terminal where an ocean carrier (shipping line) can accept cargo for further transportation.

A document to advise customs of the shipment's details. This document confirms the owner or consignee of the cargo.

A freight carrier‘s right to hold on to cargo until they have received payment for transporting the goods.

A group of countries producing the same product and having concluded an agreement between themselves to control the supply volume and price level of this product.

Settlement form, in which the exporter receives payment after submission of shipping documents to the bank or the importer receives documents for the goods after payment.

Issued by an insurance company or broker. The document confirms the existence of an insurance policy and summarizes the main aspects and conditions of the policy.

A network of agencies and other intermediaries that link the manufacturer and the end-user.

Contract by which the owner of a ship lets it to others for use in transporting cargo.

The tariff applied for chartering tonnage in a particular trade.

Fee charged by ocean carriers at certain U.S. ports for the use of their chassis.

A document stating that a shipment is free to be imported into the country after all legal requirements have been met.

All documents (commercial invoices, bills of lading, etc.) submitted to a buyer for the purpose of receiving payment for a shipment.

Document claiming payment for goods supplied under conditions agreed between seller and buyer.

Freight that might have been damaged during transit, but, the damage/loss/shortage was not notated on the Proof of Delivery.

An ocean carrier who is a member of an association known as a "conference." The purpose of the conference is to standardize shipping practices, eliminate freight rate competition, and provide regularly scheduled service between specific ports.

A natural or legal person to whom, at the direction of the shipper, the goods should be delivered at the destination.

A natural or legal person who delivered the goods for carriage and is indicated as the sender in the carriage document.

This is a fee for bringing together and packing several smaller shipments into the same container., applicable to ocean freight LCL and air freight.

An agent groups the cargo of several customers for container transportation.

A single rigid, sealed, reusable metal box in which merchandise is shipped by vessel, truck, or rail.

Registration of all formalities and operations necessary to obtain permission to unload the container from the vessel and to load it on board the vessel.

The charge made for the packing or unpacking of cargo into or from ocean freight containers.

Disinfection allowance (fumigation).