| Definitions | |
| A/M | Airmail |
| Abdnt | Abandonment |
| ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| ACA | Air Cargo Automation |
| Acceptor | The party accepting a bill of exchange |
| ACCI | Australian Chamber of commerce and Industry |
| ACBPS | Australian Customs and Border Protection Service |
| Ad. Val | Ad valorem – according to value |
| AFIF | Australian Federation of International Forwarders |
| AHECC | Australian Harmonised Export Classification Code |
| AMSA | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
| APSC | Australian Port Service Charge |
| AQIS | Australian Quarantine Inspection Service |
| ATO | Australian Taxation Office |
| B/L | Bill of Lading |
| BAF | Bunker Adjustment Factor |
| Bankers’ Indemnity or Guarantee: | A form which may be required in the following circumstances: |
| 1. By a shipowner to be completed by the consignee and countersigned by the consignee’s bank, when release for goods is required without production of the Bill of Lading (e.g. if the B/L has been lost). | |
| 2. When a clean B/L is called for on the Documentary Credit and the shipowner, for various reasons, wished to clause the B/L. | |
| 3. By the Chamber of Commerce and Industry when issuing an ATA Carnet for goods to be temporarily exported from Australia. | |
| Basic Service Charges (BSC): | Amount arrived at by the multiplication of freight in tonnes, but the Basic Service Rate (BSR) |
| Basic Service Rate (BSR): | Costs of ocean liner freight, wharfage and other port charges (at both port of departure and port of entry) |
| Beaufort Scale: | A windscale and sea disturbance table by which mariners grade the force of wind and height of waves, thus communicating the general condition of the sea to others by the use of a wind force number. |
| Bill of Exchange: | An unconditional order in writing, addressed by one person or firm to another, signed by the person giving it, requiring the person to whom it was addressed to pay on demand a certain sum to or to the order of a specified person or to a bearer. |
| Bill of Lading: | A document that is evidence of title to the goods described on it, and is contract between shipper and shipowner. Issued by the carrier of the goods and acknowledges receipt for cargo received on board. |
| Bonded Goods: | Imported goods deposited in a Government approved warehouse until duty is paid. |
| Break Bulk Cargo: | An assembled variety of shipments in a vessel, or one hold of a vessel, to be sorted (disseminated) after discharge, the opposite to bulk cargo where one shipment occupies the hold, or the ship alone. |
| Broker: | An agent employed (at a customary or agreed rate of commission or remuneration) to buy or sell goods, merchandise or marketable securities. Or to negotiate insurance, freight rates or other matters, for a principle; the sales of transactions being negotiated not in his own name but in that of the principal. |
| BSRA | Basic Service Rate Additional |
| Bulkhead: | 1. Front wall of container. |
| 2. Vertical separation between the holds of a ship (now extended to cover all vertical panels). | |
| Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF): | Surcharge, either as an addition or subtraction from the total freight rate, according to variation in the cost of ship fuel oil. |
| C.T.O.: | Container Terminal Operator. |
| C/V | Certificate of Value |
| C/VO | Certificate of Value and origin |
| Cabotage: | Coastal navigation, also used for reservation of transport within a country to its own shipping. |
| CAD | Cash against documents |
| CAF | Currency adjustment factor |
| CCX | Collect Freight |
| Carnet: | A temporary exportation/importation customs cleared document issued by Chambers of Commerce. |
| Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991: | Act of Commonwealth parliament which came into force in 1991, repealing the Sea Carriage of Goods Act 1924 and given force to the Hague Rules as amended by the Visby and SDR (Special Drawing Rights) Protocols for export of goods by sea from Australia. The Act also makes provision for entry into force of the Hamburg Rules of a date to be proclaimed |
| Carrier’s Lien: | The right to retain possession of goods pending payment of overdue freight charges. |
| Cash against documents (D/P): | Full shipping documents are sent to a bank or an agent at the port of destination with instruction that they are to be handed over to the consignee only in exchange for the sum due. |
| CBM | Cubic Measurement |
| CCY | Convertible currency |
| CDV | Current domestic value |
| Cellular Vessel: | Ship specialised for container transport, the holds have vertical guides into which containers are lowered to form secure stacks restrained at all four corners. |
| CER | Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA) |
| Certificate of Origin (COO): | A document to prove the place of growth, production or manufacture of goods specified thereon. |
| CFR | Cost and freight |
| CFS | Container Freight Station |
| cft. | Cubic feet |
| Charter-party: | An agreement wherein the shipowner hires his vessel to the charterer subject to certain conditions. |
| CIF | Cost, insurance and freight |
| Clause Paramount: | Clause in Bill of Lading stating that the Hague Rules are amended by the Visby/SDR Protocol apply to the contract of affreightment as per the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991. |
| Clean Bill of Lading: | One in which there is nothing to qualify the admission that the goods are shipped in good order and condition. |
| Clip-on-Unit (COU): | A separate refrigeration unit which can be clipped on that an insulated container. |
| CMR | Customs Management Re Engineering |
| COD | Cash On Delivery |
| Combined Transport: | Means the carriage of goods by at least two different modes of transport, from a place at which the goods are taken in charge situated in one country to a place designated for delivery situated in a different country. |
| Comite Maritime International (CMI): | The international agency of national maritime law associations, authors of the Hague Rules |
| Commercial Bills: | A document which provides details of the contract of sale between buyer and seller. |
| Common Carrier: | One who carries any type of goods, other than a carrier of special goods. |
| Completely Knocked Down (CKD): | i.e. Cargo completely unassembled and packed into cases. Part knocked down (PKD) i.e. cargo partly assembled and packed into cases. |
| Conference Ship: | A ship operated by a signatory to a shipping conference agreement. |
| Consignee: | A party or person to whom the goods are to be delivered. |
| Consignor | The party or person that presents the goods to be shipped |
| Consolidator: | A transport contractor, carrier, or forwarder who undertakes the transportation of small shipments (see LCL) in groupage. The consolidator assembles such LCL shipments in a container which will be stripped by his receiving agent in the destination ares. |
| Consular Invoice: | An invoice, prepared on a special form and legalised by the Consul of the importing country, usually required by the Customs of that country to confirm details and origin. |
| Container Freight Station (CFS): | Other names: consolidation depot; depot; – where LCL cargo is packed or unpacked in/from consolidation containers, Then made available. |
| Container Ship: | Vessel specially fitted out for carrying containers. The hold consists of wells into which the containers can be lowered and stacked in up to eight layers. Containers may be stowed on deck up to four high on top of any one hatch. |
| Container Tanks: | Specially constructed cylindrical container for the carriage of bulk liquids, powders or gases, being supported within a frame 8ft x 8ft lattice construction and in lengths 20, 30 and 40 ft with corner castings and normally fitted with a bottom pick-up device. |
| Container Terminal: | Area where large-scale container handling parking and storage facilities are available and used for transfer of containers between at least two different transport media (rail, road, sea, barge, air) |
| Container Vessels: | Ship designed to carry ISO (International Standards Organisation) containers, in vertical cells within the holds. The container vessel is designed for maximum speed and efficiency, with a minimum of labour necessary for loading and unloading. |
| Conventional Berth: | Berth suitable for conventional ships, either employing the ship’s own derricks or supplementing with shore-based equipment. |
| Conventional Vessel: | Ship designed with its own on-board derricks for the loading of goods into the holds. |
| Cube out: | When the volumetric capacity of the container has been reached in advance of the permitted weight limit. |
| Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF): | A charge levied by the ‘Ocean Carrier’ over and above the ocean freight rate to cater for fluctuation over a period in the actual currency exchange rates as compared to those exchange rates set by the conferences as applying to various sailings. |
| Current Domestic Value (CV): | Price at which the supplier is prepared to supply to any purchaser for home consumption in the country of export and at the date of export, similar goods in the usual wholesale quantities. |
| CW | Commercial weight |
| CY | Container Yard |
| D/O | Delivery Order |
| D/P | Documents against payment |
| D/R | Deposit Receipt |
| DAA | Documents against acceptance |
| DAF | Delivered at Frontier |
| DDP | Delivered Duty Paid |
| DDU | Delivered Duty Unpaid |
| Demurrage: | The sum agreed by charter to be paid as damage for delay beyond the stipulated time for loading or discharging. It should be collected daily by the master or agent. |
| Depot: | Storage building where goods are stored and where containers are packed, or unpacked, before: |
| 1. Containers are transported to shipping terminals | |
| 2. Goods from contaienrs are transported to importer’s warehouse. | |
| DEQ | Delivered ex Quay |
| DES | Delivered ex Ship |
| Detention: | Where demurrage is paid for an agreed number of days, any further delay is termed “detention”. |
| Devanning: | Removal of contents from a container (sometimes called stripping or discharging). |
| DFAT | Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |
| Disbts. | Disbursements |
| Documentary Credit | A conditional guarantee of payment issued by a bank |
| Documents of Title: | Documents produced by a consignee as evidence of right to take delivery of goods (e.g. Bill of Lading and Export invoices). |
| Door-to-Door: | Through transport of containers from consignor to consignee without any discharging or reloading of goods, except possibly at Customs control. |
| Drafts: | Bank draft or Bill of Exchange. See Bill of Exchange |
| Drawback: | A repayment of duty on the exportation of goods previously imported. |
| Drb | Drawback |
| DWT | Deadweight tonne |
| e.g. | Exempli gratia (for example) |
| ECN | Export Clearance Number |
| EDI | Electronic Data Interchange |
| EEC | European Economic Community |
| EFIC | Export Finance and Insurance Corporation |
| EFT | Electronic Funds Transfer |
| EMDG | Export Marketing Development Grant Scheme (Austrade) |
| Est. | Estimated |
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival |
| ETD | Estimated time of departure |
| EU | European Union |
| EUR | EURO (European Currency) |
| Exd. | Examined |
| EXW | Ex Works – the price at which the supplier will supply ex his works. It does not include any cartage or delivery. |
| FAK | Freight all Kinds |
| FAS | Free alongside ship |
| FCA | Free carrier |
| FCL | Full container load |
| SLC | A shipper packed container. |
| Feeder Ship: | Vessel used in short sea trade to serve ports at which deep-sea container ships do not call. |
| FEU | Forty foot Equivalent Unit (shipping container) |
| FIATA | International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association |
| FIS | Free into store |
| Flash Point: | The temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapour to form an inflammable mixture with air. |
| Flotsam: | Cargo cast or lost overboard and recoverable by reason of its remaining afloat. |
| FOB | Free on board |
| FOC | Free of charge |
| Forty-foot Unit: | ISO container 40 ft. long by 8ft. by 8ft. 6-in (about 6m long by 2.4m by 2.5m). |
| Forward Exchange Contract: | A contract between a bank and a customer under which the bank agrees to set the exchange rate now to purchase from or sell to the customer a fixed amount in a foreign currency at a future date. |
| Forwarding Agent: | Agent who handles all shipping matters for the Importer / Exporter. |
| Freight Container: | Article of transport equipment of a permanent character designed to facilitate the carriage of goods by one or more means of transport without intermediate rehandling of the goods themselves. |
| Freight Forwarder: | A person or company charged, by the shipper, with the responsibility of arranging shipment of goods overseas. |
| Freight of all Kinds (FAK): | Denoted container loads, packed by the shipping company, with several or more smaller consignments. Such a container will contain at least three different consignments and at least five different items, with no one item exceeding 6000 kilos. |
| Freight Rate: | The charge for transporting goods. |
| Frt. | Freight |
| Full Container Load (FCL): | A container, generally shipped under a bill of lading, which is packed by the shipper and unpacked by the consignee. Basically, this is just a container (not necessarily full) which is not being shared by more than one shipper. |
| Fwd | Forward |
| G/A. | General average |
| GATT | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade |
| GCR | General cargo rates |
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product |
| Gen | General |
| General Average Fund: | The total arrived at by adding together general average expenditure and the value of property sacrificed in a general average act, plus costs of its adjustments. |
| General Average: | A legal principle which traces its origins in ancient maritime law, general average is still part of the admiralty law of most countries. General average requires three elements which are clearly stated by Mr. Justice Grier in Barnard v. Adams: “Ist. A common danger: a danger in which vessel, cargo and crew all participate; a danger imminent and apparently ‘inevitable,’ except by voluntarily incurring the loss of a portion of the whole to save the remainder. “2nd. There must be a voluntary jettison, jactus, or casting away, of some portion of the joint concern for the purpose of avoiding this imminent peril, periculi imminentis evitandi causa, or, in other words, a transfer of the peril from the whole to a particular portion of the whole. “3rd. This attempt to avoid the imminent common peril must be successful” |
| Godown: | Asian countries terminology for warehouse. |
| Gr.t | Gross ton |
| Gross Tonnage: | This is the volume of the interior of the vessel including all spaces which are permanently closed in (but excluding the double bottom), expressed in tons of cubic fee. |
| Gross Weight: | Total weight of goods and packing. |
| GST | Goods and Services Tax |
| Guar. | Guaranteed |
| HAWB | House air waybill (issued by freight forwarder covering the individual shipment within a consolidation) |
| Hbr. | Harbour |
| HC | High Cubic |
| HCE | Home consumption Entry (Nature 10) Customs entry fro entering goods to be taken into home consumption |
| HCV | Home consumption value |
| Heavy Lift: | Cargo comprising especially heavy pieces which may require: |
| 1. Special car in loading and unloading | |
| 2. Special equipment for handling | |
| 3. Special care and attention during transit. | |
| HGV | Heavy Goods Vehicle |
| House Air Waybill: | A special air waybill used for consolidated air freight shipments. |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association |
| IC & C | Invoice cost and charges |
| ICC | International Chamber of Commerce |
| IDC | Irrevocable Documentary Credit |
| IFC | Institute Freight Clauses, International Finance Corporation |
| IMCO | Int. Maritime Codes Organisation |
| IMF | International Monetary fund |
| IMIF | International Maritime Industry Forum |
| Incoterms: | A set of rules formulated by the International Chamber of Commerce for the interpretation of responsibilities of each party involved in international trade shipments |
| Indemnity: | Liability of an insurer for loss under a policy. |
| Invoice: | A document setting out in detail the goods consigned, marks and number, cost, any charges, and name of consignee., |
| IR | Infra-red |
| ISO | International Standards Organisation |
| Jetsam: | Cargo or goods, which sank when, jettisoned. The term applies also to such goods when washed ashore. |
| Jett. | Jettison |
| Jettison: | The act of throwing cargo and stores overboard in order to save a vessel in peril. |
| KD | Knocked down |
| KDC | Knocked down condition |
| Knocked Down Condition: | Complete goods dismantled for transit |
| kW | Kilowatt(s) |
| L.d.d. | Loss during discharge |
| L/A | Letter of authority, Landing Account, Lloyd’s Agent |
| L/C | Letter of credit |
| Landed Price: | Includes the CIF price, plus the cost of unloading, storage (if necessary); customs duty and any other costs involved in clearing goods for entry into the customer’s country. Equivalent to the DDP price (Delivered Duty Paid – 1990 Incoterms) |
| LB | One pound (in weight) |
| LCL | Less container load |
| Ldg. | Loading |
| Less-than-container-load (LCL): | The combining of several consignments, which were too small to fill a container, into one container. There may be several consignees each with a separate bill of lading. |
| Letter of Credit: | A document authorising payment to the person named, subject to fulfilment of certain specified conditions, on the part of the person authorised to receive the money (e.g. evidence that goods have been shipped). Also known as Documentary Credit. |
| LI | Letter of indemnity |
| Liab. | Liability |
| Lien: | A legal right over goods, to hold them until the claim against the owner has been settled. |
| LIS | Landed Into Store |
| Lloyd’s Register of Shipping: | An independent non-profit making Society, controlled by the various sectors of the shipping industries. |
| LNG | Liquefied Natural Gas carrier |
| LO/LO | Lift on/Lift off |
| M2 | Square Metre(s) |
| M3 | Cubic Metre(s) |
| Manifest: | Documents containing the passenger list and details of all stores and cargo on board the vessel. |
| Mate’s Receipt: | A receipt signed by the mate to say the cargo has been received on board in good order and condition. |
| MAWB | Master air waybill (issued by the airline covering a consolidation of cargo) |
| MBL | Master Bill of Lading |
| Min | Minimum |
| MR | Mate’s receipt |
| MT | Metric tonne 2204.6lbs |
| MTO | Multimodal Transport Operator |
| N10 | Customs Entry for Home Consumption |
| N20 | Customs Entry for Warehousing goods into a Customs controlled bond |
| N30 | Ex Warehouse Customs Entry, clearing bonded goods for Home Consumption |
| NAFTA | North American Free Trade Agreement |
| NCV | No commercial value |
| NCV | No customs value |
| Nei | Not elsewhere included |
| Nes | Not elsewhere specified |
| Nesting: | Packing hollow-ware cargo (e.g. earthernware bowls) so that one item nests within each item and avoid damage. |
| Net wt | Nett weight |
| No. | Number |
| Nosi | Not Otherwise Specified or Included |
| NVD | No value declared |
| NVOCC | Non vessel owning common carrier |
| On Consignment: | Goods shipped with payment made to the shipper as the goods are sold at destination. The shipper retains ownership. |
| OBL | Ocean Bill of Lading |
| Open Top Container: | Van size container with soft roof (tarpaulin) or detachable hard roof, for vertical loading of cargo. |
| Out Turn: | The quantity of cargo discharged from a ship |
| Oz. | Ounce |
| P&L | Profit and Loss |
| p.o.c. | Port of call |
| P/N | Promissory note |
| Panamax: | Vessels capable of transiting the Panama Canal. |
| Perfecting the Sight: | Adding necessary details to a Bill of Lading when such has been preciously omitted. |
| Pilf | Pilferage |
| Pkg | Package |
| PL | Public liability |
| Plimsoll Mark: | The loading mark on the side of a vessel. |
| POD | Pay on delivery, Proof of Delivery |
| Power of Attorney: | A document which empowers one person to act for another |
| PP | Parcel post |
| PPD | Prepaid Freight |
| Pro-forma Invoice: | A specimen invoice – often requested by the buyer for the purpose of applying for an import licence or foreign-exchange allocation before contract of sale is concluded |
| Promissory Note: | A note promising to pay a certain person a stated sum on a specified date. |
| PST | Pacific Standard Time |
| Reefer: | A container specially constructed to carry refrigerated cargo. |
| Res | Residue |
| Roll-on, Roll-off (RO-RO) Facility: | Berth which allows for handling RO-RO vessels. |
| Ro-ro | Roll-on/Roll off |
| RO-RO Vessel: | Ship constructed to allow cargo to be driven directly on board with trucks, forklifts and other equipment. |
| S.d. | Short delivery |
| SLC | Shippers load and count |
| S/N | Shipping Note |
| SAA | Standards Association of Australia |
| Sale of Goods Act: | An Act of 1893 which codified the law relating to the sale of goods in relation to formation, effect and performance of the contract, rights of seller and breach of contract. |
| SCA | Sea Cargo Automation |
| SGS | Sociente General de Surveillance |
| Ship’s Liability: | Starts when the cargo is on the inboard of the ship’s rails. It terminates as soon as cargo is over the ship’s rain on discharge. If cargo is damaged in transit from wharf to the ship’s rail or vice versa, the ship will normally refuse liability. |
| Shipped on Board Bill of Lading: | A ‘Shipped’ Bill of Lading is one which acknowledges that goods mentioned have been placed on board, in distinction to the Bill of Lading which merely acknowledges receipt of the goods by the carrier. |
| Shipper Agent: | Company, retained by the shipowner, or the shipping company, to deal with the exporter, freight forwarder, customs broker or importer. The shipping agent handles the administration and marketing functions on behalf of the shipowner. |
| Shipper: | Person or company which ships goods; consignor, exporter |
| Shipping Company: | Company which owns, or charters, transport ships, offering spaces on such ships for the carriage of goods. |
| Shipping Conference: | An association of shipping companies who have an agreement to establish freight rates and to rationalise sailing’s on a regular and adequate basis to service particular ports. |
| Short Delivery: | The quantity of cargo delivered is less than the Bill of Lading quantity. |
| Short Landed: | The quantity of cargo delivered is less than the Bill of Lading quantity. |
| Short Shipment: | When the full amount intended to be shipped, has not been shipped. |
| SLAC | Shippers load and count |
| Sld. | Sailed |
| Slot Charter: | A term used to denote a part charter arrangement whereby one container consortia has the use of an agreed number of slots on vessels owned by another container consortia. |
| Slot: | Is the space in a cellular container vessel which can be taken up by one standard I.S.O. twenty food container used as a mathematical unit for allocation purposes. |
| Snow Shooting: | A method of refrigerating goods in an insulated container by blowing CO2 through the top vent in the container under pressure which takes the form of ‘snow’. |
| SPARTECA | South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement |
| STC | Said To Contain |
| Stoppage in Transit: | Right of a seller to give instruction to a carrier or other bailee to withhold delivery to the buyer, usually due to non-payment for the goods. |
| Straddle Carrier / Car: | A vehicle specially constructed to lift and move containers in a dock area or container terminal area. |
| Stuffing: | Placing goods into a container. |
| Subrogation: | The right enjoyed by an underwriter to take over the rights and remedies available to an assured, following payment of a claim on the policy, in order to recover up to the amount of the claim from another party who was responsible for the loss. |
| SV | Sailing Vessel |
| SWG | Standard wire gauge |
| SWL | Safe Working Load |
| T | Tonne(s) |
| T/S | Transhipment |
| Tailgate – inspection | An inspection by Quarantine of an FCL container. Checking for any quarantine matter prior to delivery. |
| Tanker Container: | A tank in a standard ISO 20 ft. by 8 ft. by 8ft 6in. (about 6m by 2.4m by 2.5m) frame, designed to be carried on board container vessels. |
| Tanktainer: | A cylindrically shaped container intended for transport of liquid cargo. |
| Tare: | The weight of a container, box or other carrier of goods when empty. |
| TBA | To be advised |
| TBL | Through Transport B/L |
| TCO | Tariff Concession Order |
| TEU | Twenty Food Equivalent Unit (shipping container) |
| TGB | Tongued, grooved and beaded |
| Through Bill of Lading: | Bill of Lading covering receipt of goods at the place of acceptance of the cargo for delivery to the ultimate destination, embracing transport by more than one means. |
| Through Transport: | Extension of normal port to port services, where, by use of combined transport, the shipping contract includes pickup of goods at exporter’s warehouse and delivery to consignee’s address in foreign country. |
| Trade Ullage: | Natural loss to cargo (e.g. evaporation). |
| Trans-shipment: | The act of transferring goods from one vessel to another or from one conveyance to another, including periods at transhipping ports or places. |
| TT | Telegraphic transfer |
| Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU): | Standard ISO container measuring 20 ft by 8 ft by 8ft 6in (about 6m x 2.4m x 2.5m) |
| ULD | Unit Load Device-Airfreight Container |
| UN | United Nations |
| UV | Ultra-violet |
| Value for Duty: | Value at which goods would pay duty – if ad valorem. Goods have VFD even if duty is not payable. |
| VAT | Value Added Tax |
| VFD | Value for duty (Customs) |
| Vol | Volume |
| w.p. | Without prejudice, Weather permitting |
| w.p.p. | Waterproof paper packing |
| W/d | Warranted |
| W/M | Weight and/or Measurement |
| Warranty: | An undertaking by one party to contract agreeing to abide by certain conditions required by the other party in relation to performance of the contract (e.g. warranty of seaworthiness, whereby the shipowner agrees to provide a seaworthy vessel to carry the goods specified in a contract of affreightment.) |
| Wharfage: | The charges made for the use of a wharf, usually levied on the cargo owner. |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WR | Warehouse receipts |
| Wt. | Weight |
| Wtd | Warranted |
| WTO | World Trade Organisation |
| YAR | York Antwerp Rules (General Average) |
| York-Antwerp Rules: | A set of internationally accepted rules for application to general average circumstances. Most contract of affreightment provides for general average to be adjusted in accordance with their rules. In the absence of such agreement adjustment is made in accordance with the law of the place where the adventure is terminated. |
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