Freight, shipping and chartering glossary
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Customs Broker |
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. |
| Customs Clearance |
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. |
| Customs Duty (at Destination) |
Duties on exports from China |
| Customs Duty (at Origin) |
Duty on imports to the US may apply |
| Customs Entry |
The document that provides US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with details of your shipment, such as cost, classification, and origin. |
| Customs Invoice |
Payment charged by customs when importing or exporting goods. |
| Customs Value |
The notional value of the goods used for customs duties. |
| Carnet |
A document allowing special categories of goods to cross international borders without paying duties. This document is issued by customs. |
| Carriage Paid To Incoterm (CPT) |
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. |
| Carrier Certificate and Release Order |
A document to advise customs of the shipment's details. This document confirms the owner or consignee of the cargo. |
| Carrier’s Lien |
A freight carrier‘s right to hold on to cargo until they have received payment for transporting the goods. |
| Cartment |
Customs form permitting in-bond cargo to be moved from one location to another under Customs control, within the same Customs district. |
| Cash In Advance |
The buyer pays the seller in advance the shipment of goods. |
| Cash with Order |
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. |
| Certificate of Origin |
Сertificate submitted by an exporter to those countries requiring it, listing goods to be imported and stating their place of origin. Used for customs and foreign exchange purposes. |
| Chargeable Weight |
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. |
| Charter Rates |
The tariff applied for chartering tonnage in a particular trade. |
| Chassis Usage Fee |
Fee charged by ocean carriers at certain U.S. ports for the use of their chassis. |
| Combined Transport |
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" |
| Commodities |
Products; commercial products and services. |
| Concealed Damage |
Freight that might have been damaged during transit, but, the damage/loss/shortage was not notated on the Proof of Delivery. |
| Conference Carrier |
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. |
| Consignee |
A natural or legal person to whom, at the direction of the shipper, the goods should be delivered at the destination. |
| Consignor |
A natural or legal person who delivered the goods for carriage and is indicated as the sender in the carriage document. |
| Consolidation Point |
The location where consolidation takes place. |
| Consolidator's Bill of Lading |
A bill of lading issued by a consolidating freight forwarder to a shipper. |
| Container Chassis |
Devices for transporting containers for ship or other operations. |
| Container depot |
A storage area, other than a container yard, where shippers and consignees may pick up or drop off empty containers. |
| Container Freight Charge |
The charge made for the packing or unpacking of cargo into or from ocean freight containers. |
| Container Freight Station |
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. |
| Container ID |
An identifier assigned to a container by a carrier. |
| Containerization |
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. |
| Contract of Carriage |
Contract on the legal obligations of the carrier and the client. |
| Cost Freight Incoterm (CFR) |
Supplier has organized land delivery, completed port formalities, performed loading on ship’s board, and paid freight charges to the port (airport) of destination. |
| Countertrade |
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. |
| Cubic Capacity |
The carrying capacity of a container according to measurement in cubic feet, cubic centimeters or cubic meters. |
| Customs Bond |
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. |
| Customs Broker |
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. |
| Customs Duty (at Origin) |
Duty on imports to the US may apply |
| Customs Invoice |
Payment charged by customs when importing or exporting goods. |
| Cabotage |
Navigation of a commercial cargo or passenger ship between seaports of the same state. |
| Cage |
(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. |
| Cargo |
Goods that are transported by different types of vehicles. |
| Carriage & Insurance Paid To Incoterm (CIP) |
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. |
| Carrier |
A person who, under a contract of carriage, performs or mediates in the delivery of goods using a vehicle. |
| Cartage |
(1) Movement of goods locally (short distances). (2) Сharge for pick-up and delivery of goods. |
| Cartel |
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. |
| Cash Against Documents (CAD) |
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. |
| Certificate of Insurance (COI) |
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. |
| Channel of Distribution |
A network of agencies and other intermediaries that link the manufacturer and the end-user. |
