Freight, shipping and chartering glossary

Document showing contents and loading sequence of a container.

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

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 on the legal obligations of the carrier and the client.

Supplier has organized land delivery, completed port formalities, performed loading on ship’s board, and paid freight charges to the port (airport) of destination.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Goods that are transported by different types of vehicles.

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.

(1) Movement of goods locally (short distances). (2) Сharge for pick-up and delivery of goods.

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.

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.

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.

Freight payable by the consignee at the port of destination.

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

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.

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.

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.

Disinfection allowance (fumigation).

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.

Special duties imposed on imports to offset the benefits of subsidies to producers or exporters in the exporting country.

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.

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.

Duties on exports from China

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

The notional value of the goods used for customs duties.