Freight, shipping and chartering glossary

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.

A legal entity that has received a license to perform intermediary functions in the field of customs clearance of goods at the expense and on behalf of the represented person.

(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.

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.

Payment for the weight of the item. The chargeable weight may be the dimensional weight or, for container shipments, the gross weight of the shipment less the tare weight of the container.

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

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

Products; commercial products and services.

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

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

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

The location where consolidation takes place.

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.

An identifier assigned to a container by a carrier.

An oceangoing vessel designed specifically to easily handle the loading, stowage, and off-loading of ocean freight containers.

Contract on the legal obligations of the carrier and the client.

When a shipping container has been filled by volume but has not reached its maximum weight limit.

An enterprise that uses the services as provided by another enterprise.

A government agency providing the procedure for moving goods and vehicles, things, and other items across the customs border, levying customs payments.

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.

The document that provides US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with details of your shipment, such as cost, classification, and origin.

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

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

Customs form permitting in-bond cargo to be moved from one location to another under Customs control, within the same Customs district.

A method of payment for goods, in which something is sold on a cash with order basis, payment must be sent along with the order, before the goods are sent out, and the transaction becomes binding on both buyer and seller.

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

The tariff applied for chartering tonnage in a particular trade.

Freight payable by the consignee at the port of destination.

Transportation of goods by at least two different modes of transport; widely used in container shipping. When using it, transportation can be carried out by sea and further by rail and/or road according to one document. Combined Transport is also referred to in the USA as "Intermodal Transport" and in other parts of the world as "Multimodal Transport"

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

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

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

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

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

The practice or technique of using a boxlike device in which a number of packages are stored, protected, and handled as a single unit in transit.

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

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.

Duties on exports from China

The notional value of the goods used for customs duties.

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.

Goods that are transported by different types of vehicles.

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

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

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 person who, under a contract of carriage, performs or mediates in the delivery of goods using a vehicle.