Euro-Maritime Shipping Directory

A proceeding wherein a shipper/consignee seeks authority to abandon all or parts of their cargo

Referring to cargo being put, or laden, onto a means of conveyance.

One carrier assumes the charges of another without any increase in charges to the shipper.

A time draft (or bill of exchange) that the drawee (payer) has accepted and is unconditionally obligated to pay at maturity.

Broadly speaking, any agreement to purchase goods under specified terms.

Charges that are applied to the base tariff rate or base contract rate, e.g., bunkers, container, currency, destination/delivery.

A notice sent to a local or foreign buyer advising that shipment has gone forward and containing details of packing, routing, etc. A copy of the invoice is often enclosed and, if desired, a copy of the bill of lading.

Inventory for any group of items or products, involving multiple stock-keeping units.

Abbreviation: ACEP. Agreement between the owners of the equipment and the responsible government body to allow continuous examination of the equipment (e.g. containers).

Buying of foreign exchange, securities, or commodities in one market and the simultaneous selling in another market. By this manipulation a profit is made because of the difference in the rates of exchange or in the prices of securities or commodities involved.

Notice sent by a carrier or freight forwarder to notify party advising the arrival of a shipment.

Stipulation within a Letter of Credit in which some or all of the proceeds are assigned from the original beneficiary to one or more additional beneficiaries.

Means of identifying an item (product, parcel,transport unit) by a device entering the data automatically into a computer. The most widely used technology at present is bar code; others include radio frequency, magnetic stripes and optical character recognition.

A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods.

Amended B/L: B/L requiring updates that do not change financial status; this is slightly different from corrected B/L.

B/L Terms & Conditions: the fine print on B/L defines what the carrier can and cannot do, including the carrier s liabilities and contractual agreements.

B/L s Status: represents whether the bill of lading has been input, rated, reconciled, printed, or released to the customer.

B/Ls Type: refers to the type of B/L being issued. Some examples are: a Memo (ME), Original (OBL), Nonnegotiable, Corrected (CBL) or Amended (AM) B/L.

Canceled B/L: B/L status; used to cancel a processed B/L usually per shippers request; different from voided B/L.

Clean B/L: A B/L which bears no superimposed clause or notation which declares a defective condition of the goods and/or the packaging.

Combined B/L: B/L that covers cargo moving over various transports.

Consolidated B/L: B/L combined or consolidated from two or more B/L s.

Corrected B/L: B/L requiring any update which results in money or other financially related changes.

Domestic B/L: Non-negotiable B/L primarily containing routing details; usually used by truckers and freight forwarders.

Duplicate B/L: Another original Bill of Lading set if first set is lost. also known as reissued B/L.

Express B/L: Non-negotiable B/L where there are no hard copies of originals printed.

Freight B/L: A contract of carriage between a shipper and forwarder (who is usually a NVOCC); a non-negotiable document.

Government B/L (GBL): A bill of lading issued by the U.S. government.

- Hitchment B/L: B/L covering parts of a shipment which are loaded at more than one location. Hitchment B/L usually consists of two parts, hitchment and hitchment memo. The hitchment portion usually covers the majority of a divided shipment and carries the entire revenue.

House B/L: B/L issued by a freight forwarder or consolidator covering a single shipment containing the names, addresses and specific description of the goods shipped.

ntermodal B/L: B/L covering cargo moving via multimodal means. Also known as Combined Transport B/L, or Multimodal B/L.

Long Form B/L: B/L form with all Terms & Conditions written on it. Most B/L s are short form which incorporate the long form clauses by reference.

Memo B/L: Unfreighted B/L with no charges listed.

Military B/L: B/L issued by the U.S. military; also known as GBL, or Form DD1252.

B/L Numbers: U.S. Customs s standardized B/L numbering format to facilitate electronic communications and to make each B/L number unique.

Negotiable B/L: The B/L is a title document to the goods, issued to the order of a party, usually the shipper, whose endorsement is required to effect is negotiation. Thus, a shipper s order (negotiable) B/L can be bought, sold, or traded while goods are in transit and is commonly used for letter-of-credit transactions. The buyer must submit the original B/L to the carrier in order to take possession of the goods.

Non-Negotiable B/L: See Straight B/L. Sometimes means a file copy of a B/L.

Onboard B/L: B/L validated at the time of loading to transport. Onboard Air, Boxcar, Container, Rail, Truck and Vessel are the most common types. Optional Discharge B/L: B/L covering cargo with more than one discharge point option possibility.

Order B/L: See Negotiable B/L.

Original B/L: The part of the B/L set that has value, especially when negotiable; rest of set are only informational file copies. Abbreviated as OBL.

Received for Shipment B/L: Validated at time cargo is received by ocean carrier to commence movement but before being validated as Onboard.

Reconciled B/L: B/L set which has completed a prescribed number of edits between the shippers instructions and the actual shipment received. This produces a very accurate B/L.

Short Term B/L: Opposite of Long Form B/L, a B/L without the Terms & Conditions written on it. Also known as a Short Form B/L. The terms are incorporated by reference to the long form B/L.

Split B/L: One of two or more B/L s which have been split from a single B/L.

Stale B/L: A late B/L; in banking, a B/L which has passed the time deadline of the L/C and is void.

Straight (Consignment) B/L: Indicates the shipper will deliver the goods to the consignee. It does not convey title (non-negotiable). Most often used when the goods have been pre-paid.

To Order B/L: See Negotiable B/L.

Unique B/L Identifier: U.S. Customs standardization: four-alpha code unique to each carrier placed in front of nine digit B/L number; APL unique B/L Identifier is APLU. Sea-land uses SEAU. These prefixes are also used as the container identification.

Voided B/L: Related to Consolidated B/L; those B/L absorbed in the combining process. Different from Canceled B/L.

A bond covering a group of persons, articles or properties.

Weight at which it is cheaper to charge the lower rate for the next higher weight-break multiplied by the minimum weight indicated, than to charge the higher rate for the actual weight of the shipment (air cargo).

An extra charge sometimes added to steamship freight rates; justified by higher fuel costs. (known as Fuel Adjustment Factor or FAF.)

Payment condition which implies transfer of title at time of payment.

Adjustment applied by shipping lines or liner conferences on freight rates to offset losses or gains for carriers resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates of tariff currencies.

Most ocean freight is billed on the basis of weight or measurement tons (W/M). Weight tons can be expressed in short tons of 2000 pounds, long tons of 2240 pounds or metric tons of 1000 kilos (2204.62 pounds). Measurement tons are usually expressed as cargo measurement of 40 cubic feet (1.12 meters) or cubic meters (35.3 cubic feet.)

Ein Dokument zur Vereinfachung des internationalen Warenverkehrs, das gleichzeitig als Versandanmeldung und als Sicherheit in den Ländern gilt, die das TIR-Übereinkommen unterzeichnet haben (ABl. 1978 Nr. L 252, S. 1

C.O.G.S.A. 1936 U.S. Statute that governs the acts that a carrier is responsible for and defines the terms used in shipping. The act provides that the shipowner’s liability will be limited to $500 per shipping package, and it stipulates a one-year time limit for filing suit against the carrier. This act automatically applies to international ocean movements but not to domestic ocean transits unless the carrier agrees to be bound by it.

Method of payment for goods in which documents transferring title are given the buyer upon payment of cash to an intermediary acting for the seller, usually a commission house.

Term CFS at loading ports refers to the location designated by carriers for the receiving of cargo to be packed into containers by the carrier. At discharge ports, the term CFS refers to the location designated by carriers in the port area for unpacking and delivery of cargo.

Cargo containing shipments of two or more shippers or suppliers. Containerload shipments may be consolidated for one or more consignees.

Port at which an ocean vessel does not call, but which is equalized with the actual port of call and upon which inland haulage services and inland tariffs are based. Note: Generally speaking it is seen as the port mentioned on the B/L from which cargo is accepted (e.g. delivered by the consignee for sea transport).

Customs broker or other agent of the consignee designated to perform customs clearance services for the consignee.

Document required by customs in an importing country in which the seller states the price (e.g. selling price, price of identical goods), and specifies costs for freight, insurance and packing, etc., terms of delivery and payment. This is for the purpose of determining the customs value in the importing country of goods consigned to that country.

Delivered ex Quay means that the seller delivers when the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer not cleared for import on the quay  at the named port of destination. The seller has to bear costs and risks involved in bringing the goods to the named port of destination and discharging the goods on the quay. The DEQ term requires the buyer to clear the goods for import and to pay for all formalities, duties, taxes and other charges upon import.

An incentive payment paid to a carrier to loading and unloading the cargo faster than agreed. Usually negotiated only in charter parties.

Instructions given by a shipper to a bank indicating that documents transferring title to goods should be delivered to the buyer only upon the buyers acceptance of the attached draft.

Abbreviation for Destination Rail Freight Station. Same as CFS at destination, except a DRFS is operated by the rail carrier participating in the shipment.

A container constructed to carry grain, powder and other free-flowing solids in bulk. Used in conjunction with a tilt chassis or platform.

Delay in Startup Insurance is a policy to protect the seller of a construction project from penalties if the project is not completed on time

International body responsible for administering the European Article Numbering system. It has affiliates in many countries such as: CCG in Germany, DCC in Japan, ANA in the United Kingdom. Note: The North American body responsible for the Uniform Product Code (UPC) coding is the Uniform Code Council (UPC is considered a subset of EAN).

An angle piece fitted over the edge of boxes, crates, bundles and other packages to prevent the pressure from metal bands or other types from cutting into the package.

Transfer of structured data, by agreed standards from applications on the computer of one party to the applications on the computer of another party by electronic means.

Transfer of the right to obtain delivery of the goods of the carrier by means of the consignee’s signature on the reverse side of a Bill of Lading. If the name of the new consignee (transferee) is not stated, the endorsement is an open one which means that every holder of the document is entitled to obtain delivery of the goods.

Estimated Time of Availability. That time when a tractor/partner carrier is available for dispatch.

Estimated time of arrival

Expected date and time when a certain (air)port is left.

Pool for the exchange of standard-sized pallets (the so-called Europallets) in European cargo traffic, formed in 1961 by a number of European rail administrators.

A rate published on traffic moving from an interior point to a port for transshipment to a foreign country.

F.E.R.I is an online and compulsory loading certifcate which must be issued for each B/L with goods for the Republic Democratic of Congo. This document must be created and validated at its port of loading. After Issuance of it, its number must be inserted into the original Bill of Loading.

An international goods classification system for describing cargo in international trade under a single commodity-coding scheme. Developed under the auspices of the Customs Cooperations Council (CCC), an international Customs organization in Brussels, this code is a hierarchically structured product nomenclature containing approximately 5,000 headings and subheadings. It is organized into 99 chapters arranged in 22 sections. Sections encompass an industry (e.g., Section XI, Textiles and Textile Articles); chapters encompass the various materials and products of the industry (e.g., Chapter 50, Silk; Chapter 55, Manmade Staple Fibers; Chapter 57, Carpets). The basic code contains four-digit headings and six-digit subheadings. Many countries add digits for Customs tariff and statistical purposes. In the United States, duty rates will be the eight-digit level; statistical suffixes will be at the ten-digit level. The Harmonized System (HS) is the current U.S. tariff schedule (TSUSA) for imports and is the basis for the ten-digit Schedule B export code.

System zur elektronischen Übermittlung von Daten, das das herkömmliche papier-gestützte Versandverfahren sowohl in der Gemeinschaft als auch in den EFTA-Ländern (Island, Norwegen, Schweiz) ersetzt hat

The weight of an empty cargo-carrying piece of equipment plus any fixtures permanently attached.

Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC)A cargo consolidator in ocean trades who will buy space from a carrier and subsell it to smaller shippers. The NVOCC issues bills of lading, publishes tariffs and otherwise conducts itself as an ocean common carrier, except that it will not provide the actual ocean or intermodal service.

The organization of logistics contract work carried out at sea

Bill of Lading confirming the receipt of merchandise and the fact that it was loaded on board the ocean vessel.

Carriage of goods (containers) by any mode of transport to the place of delivery after discharge from the ocean vessel at the port of discharge.

Integrierter Tarif der Gemeinschaft, gespeichert und verwaltet in einer Datenbank der Kommission; er enthält auf der Grundlage einer erweiterten Nomenklatur (siehe Kombinierte Nomenklatur) neben den Regelzöllen die in der Gemeinschaft anwendbaren Ein- und Ausfuhr­maßnahmen, z. B. Zollaussetzungen, Zollkontin­gente, Zollpräferenzen, Antidumpingzölle, mengenmäßige Beschränkungen, Embargos, Ausfuhrerstattungen.

Abbreviation for the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, published by the International Chamber of Commerce. This is the most frequently used standard for making payments in international trade; e.g., paying on a Letter of Credit. It is most frequently referred to by its shorthand title: UCP No. 500. This revised publication reflects recent changes in the transportation and banking industries, such as electronic transfer of funds.

Abbreviation for Uniform Freight Classification.

Packages loaded on a pallet, in a crate or any other way that enables them to be handled at one time as a unit.

Costs that vary directly with the level of activity within a short time. Examples include costs of moving cargo inland on trains or trucks, stevedoring in some ports, and short-term equipment leases. For business analysis, all costs are either defined as variable or fixed. For a business to break even, all fixed costs must be covered. To make a profit, all variable and fixed costs must be recovered plus some extra amount.

The international carrier is obligated to make declarations of the ship s crew and contents at both the port of departure and arrival. The vessel manifest lists various details about each shipment by B/L number. Obviously, the B/L serves as the core source from which the manifest is created.

Abbreviation for Weight or Measurement the basis for assessing freight charges. Also known as worm. The rate charged under W/M will be whichever produces the highest revenue between the weight of the shipment and the measure of the shipment.

Allows merchandise that has been withdrawn from a bonded warehouse at one port to be transported in bond to another port, where a superseding entry will be filed.

A document prepared by a transportation line at the point of a shipment; shows the point of the origin, destination, route, consignor, consignee, description of shipment and amount charged for the transportation service. It is forwarded with the shipment or sent by mail to the agent at the transfer point or waybill destination.

stablished the standard basis for adjusting general average and stated the rules for adjusting claims.