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A-Z Dictionary of Export, Trade and Shipping Terms
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
A
| ABS |
| See American Bureau of Shipping |
| ACEP |
| See Approved Continuous Examination Program |
| ADR |
| See Articles Dangereux de Route |
| AGVS |
| Automated guided vehicle system. |
| ASYCUDA |
| Automated System for Customs Data. This program dealing with customs declarations hasbeen developed by UNCTAD and is presently used by some 75 countries. |
| Abeam |
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| Absorption |
| Acceptance by the carrier of a portion of a joint rate or charge which is less than the amountwhich it would receive for the service in the absence of such joint rate or charge. |
| Acceptance of Goods |
| The process of receiving a consignment from a consignor, usually against the issue of areceipt. As from this moment and on this place the carrier's responsibility for theconsignment begins. |
| Accommodation ladder |
| Movable steps arranged temporary alongside e.g. a quay to allow access on board forofficials, crew or passengers. |
| Accompanied Transport |
| The transport of complete road vehicles by another means of transport (e.g. train, ferryaccompanied by the driver). |
| Accord Relatif aux Transports Internationaux de Denrees Perissables et aux Engins Speciaux a Utiliser pour ces Transports |
| Abbreviation: ATP |
| Agreement on the international carriage of perishable foodstuffs and on the specialequipment to be used for such carriage. |
| Acceptance |
| The act of a drawee acknowledging in writing on the face of a draft, payable at a fixed or determinable future date, that he will pay the draft at maturity. |
| Acceptance Draft |
| A sight draft, documents against acceptance. See "Sight Draft," "Documents Against Acceptance." |
| Acknowledgement of Receipt |
| A notification relating to the receipt of e.g. goods, messages and documents. |
| Act of God |
| Accidents of a nature beyond human control such as flood, lightning or hurricane usuallyquoted as 'force majeure'. |
| Active Inventory |
| Covers raw material, work in progress, finished products, which will be used or sold within agiven period without extra cost or loss. This term does not cover the so-called reserveinventory. |
| Actual Demand |
| Customer orders and often also the allocation of items, ingredients and/or raw materials toproduction or distribution. |
| Actual Voyage Number |
| A code for identification purposes of the voyage and vessel which actually transports thecontainer/cargo. |
| Ad Valorem |
| In proportion to the value: A phrase applied to certain freight or customs duties levied ongoods, property, etc. set as a percentage of their value. |
| Added Value |
| The value attributed to products, and services as the result of a particular process (e.g.production process, storage, transport). |
| Advance Arrangement |
| An agreement between the shipper and the carrier, concerning contacts between thoseparties prior to tendering the consignment. |
| Advanced Amount |
| Quantity of cash or cash equivalents expressed in a monetary amount given to a driver tocover expenses during a trip. |
| Advanced Charge |
| A charge paid by a carrier to an agent or to another carrier, which the delivering carrier thencollects from the consignee. Such charges are usually for agents' forwarding fees andincidental expenses paid out of pocket for account of the shipment by an agent or othercarrier. |
| Advanced Interline |
| An interline carrier that picks up cargo from the shipper and delivers it to another carrier forshipment to the consignee. |
| Advice Note |
| A written piece of information e.g. about the status of the goods. |
| Aeroquip System |
| Special accessories in a container consisting of among others the attachment rails on theinside walls to provide facilities for lashing and separation of the cargo. |
| Aft |
| At, near or towards the stern or rear of a vessel or an aircraft. |
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| Agency Fee |
| Fee payable by a shipowner or ship operator to a port agent. |
| Agent |
|
| Aggregate Inventory |
| The inventory for any group of items or products, involving multiple stock-keeping units. |
| Air Container |
| Any unit load device, primarily intended for transport by air, having an internal volume of 1 m3or more, incorporating restraint provisions compatible with an aircraft restraint system, andan entirely flush base bottom to allow handling on roller-bed cargo handling systems. |
| Air Waybill |
| Abbreviation: AWB |
| A document made out by or on behalf of the carrier(s) confirming receipt of the goods by thecarrier and evidencing the contract between the shipper and the carrier(s) for the carriage ofgoods as described therein. |
| All Risks Clause |
| An insurance provision which provides additional coverage to an Open Cargo Policy, usually for an additional premium. Contrary to its name, the clause does not protect against all risks. The more common perils it does cover are theft, pilferage, non-delivery, fresh water damage, contact with other cargo, breakage, and leakage. Inherent vice, loss of market, and losses caused by delay are not covered. |
| Allocation |
| The process of assigning activities, costs or facilities e.g. space to a certain organisationalunits. |
| Allotment |
| A share of the capacity of a means of transport assigned to a certain party, e.g. a carrier oran agent, for the purpose of the booking of cargo for a specific voyage. |
| Always Afloat (AA) |
| Provision in a charter party, that the vessel must remain afloat at all times when unloadingand discharging. |
| Not Always Afloat But Safe Aground (NAABSA) |
| Regularly used in (tidal) ports where the maximum draft is often too shallow however, the bottom of the berth is such that a vessel can touch it at low tide without any form of damage to the vessel. |
| American Bureau of Shipping |
| Abbreviation: ABS |
| American classification society which has established rules and regulations for theclassification of seagoing vessels or equipment. |
| Amidships |
| At or in the middle of a vessel. |
| Anchor |
| Device for temporary securing a ship or floating structure to the seabed by means of a chainor cable and a weight with movable extensions (arms) |
| Apparel |
|
| Approved Continuous Examination Program |
| Abbreviation: ACEP |
| An agreement between the owners of the equipment and the responsible governmental bodyto allow continuous examination of the equipment (e.g. containers). |
| Apron |
| See Platform |
| Arbitration |
| The process of referring to an agreed person for judgement on issues of dispute, withoutrequiring the use of courts. |
| Area Code |
| A code for the area where a container is situated. |
| Area Off Hire Lease |
| Geographical area where a leased container becomes off hire. |
| Area Off Hire Sublease |
| Geographical area where a subleased container becomes off hire. |
| Area On Hire Lease |
| Geographical area where a leased container becomes on hire. |
| Area On Hire Sublease |
| Geographical area where a subleased container becomes on hire. |
| Area of Repair |
| Geographical area where a container is under repair. |
| Arrival Date |
| The date on which goods or a means of transport is due to arrive at the delivery site of thetransport. |
| Arrival Notice |
| A notice sent by a carrier to a nominated notify party advising of the arrival of a certainshipment or consignment. |
| Articles Dangereux de Route |
| Abbreviation: ADR |
| A European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road. |
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| Assembly |
| The stage of production in which components are put together into an end productappropriate to the process concerned. |
| Assignment |
| The transfer of certain rights from one party to another. |
| Astern |
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| ATA Carnet |
| A customs document which enables one to carry or send goods temporarily into certain foreign countries without paying duties or posting bonds. |
| Athwartships |
| Across the vessel, that is, from side to side. Said of cargo stowed in this way, as opposed to length-wise. |
| Audit |
| A methodical examination and review of a situation or condition (as within a businessenterprise) concluding with a detailed report of findings. |
| Audit Trail |
| A record of events, such as system access, network load, unsuccessful log-on attempts,that might have some significance for an investigation. |
| Authentication |
| Proof by means of a signature or otherwise that a certain document or certain data is ofundisputed origin and genuine. |
| Authority to Pay |
| A document comparable to a revocable letter of credit but under whose terms the authority to pay the seller stems from the buyer rather than from a bank. |
| Authorised Consignee / Consignor |
| A trader authorised by the European Commission (regulation 2454/93) to receive or despatchconsignments under transit procedures without having to present goods and documentsdirectly at the customs office. |
| Authorization |
| The commission to a certain person or body to act on behalf of another person or body. Theperson or body can be authorised e.g. to issue Bills of Lading or to collect freight. |
| Auto Container |
| Container equipped for the transportation of vehicles. |
| Automated Guided Vehicle System |
| Unmanned vehicles equipped with automatic guidance equipment which follow a prescribedpath, stopping at each necessary station for automatic or manual loading or unloading. |
| Automatic Identification |
A means of identifying an item e.g. a product, parcel or transport unit by a machine (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. |
| Automatic Identification Manufacturers |
| Abbreviation: AIM |
| International Organisation of companies and/or associations involved or interested inautomatic identification. |
| Average |
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| Average Adjusters |
| In general average affairs average adjusters are entrusted with the task of apportioning theloss and expenditure over the parties interested in the maritime venture and to determinewhich expenses are to be regarded as average or general average. |
| Aweigh |
| Description of the situation when the anchor has just been lifted from the seabed |
| Awning |
| Light structure with canvas or wooden covering rigged above an open space to provideprotection from sun or rain. |
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