SHIPPING ABREVIATIONS :

 

Bill of Lading Port of Discharge

Port where cargo is discharged from means of transport.

Bonded Warehouse

A warehouse authorized by Customs authorities for storage of goods on which payment of duties is deferred until the goods are removed.

Booking Number

Reservation number used to secure equipment and act as a control number prior to completion of a B/L.

Break Bulk

- To unload and distribute a portion or all of the contents of a rail car, container, or trailer.
- Loose, non-containerized cargo.

Bulk Cargo

Not in packages or containers; shipped loose in the hold of a ship without mark and count." Grain, coal and sulfur are usually bulk freight.

Bulk-Freight Container

A container with a discharge hatch in the front wall; allows bulk commodities to be carried.

Bunker Charge

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

C&F Terms of Sale, or INCOTERMS.

Obsolete, albeit heavily used, term of sale meaning "cargo and freight" whereby Seller pays for cost of goods and freight charges up to destination port. In July, 1990 the International Chamber of Commerce replaced C&F with CFR.

CAF

Abbreviation for "Currency Adjustment Factor." A charge, expressed as a percentage of a base rate, that is applied to compensate ocean carriers of currency fluctuations.

Cargo Tonnage

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.)

CBM (CM)

Abbreviation for "Cubic Meter."

Certificate of Origin

A certified document showing the origin of goods; used in international commerce.

CFS

Abbreviation for "Container Freight Station." A shipping dock where cargo is loaded ("stuffed") into or unloaded ("stripped") from containers. Generally, this involves less than containerload shipments, although small shipments destined to same consignee are often consolidated. Container reloading from/to rail or motor carrier equipment is a typical activity.

CIF

Abbreviation for "Cost, Insurance, Freight." (Named Port) Same as C&F or CFR except seller also provides insurance to named destination.

CIF&C

Price includes commission as well as CIF.

CIF&E

Abbreviation for "Cost, Insurance, Freight And Exchange."

CIFCI

Abbreviation for "Cost, Insurance, Freight, Collection And Interest."

CIFI&E

Cost, Insurance, Freight, Interest and Exchange.

COD

Abbreviation for: - Collect (cash) on Delivery. - Carried on Docket (pricing).

Commercial Invoice

Represents a complete record of the transaction between exporter and importer with regard to the goods sold. Also reports the content of the shipment and serves as the basis for all other documents about the shipment.

Confirmed Letter of Credit

A letter of credit, issued by a foreign bank, whose validity has been confirmed by a domestic bank. An exporter with a confirmed letter of credit is assured of payment even if the foreign buyer or the foreign bank defaults.

Confirming Bank

The bank that adds its confirmation to another bank's (the issuing bank's) letter of credit and promises to pay the beneficiary upon presentation of documents specified in the letter of credit.

Container

A truck trailer body that can be detached from the chassis for loading into a vessel, a rail car or stacked in a container depot. Containers may be ventilated, insulated, refrigerated, flat rack, vehicle rack, open top, bulk liquid or equipped with interior devices. A container may be 20 feet, 40 feet, 45 feet, 48 feet or 53 feet in length, 8'0" or 8'6" in width, and 8'6" or 9'6" in height.

CY

- Abbreviation for Container Yard.
- The designation for full container receipt/delivery.