Trade documentation glossary

The air cargo version of a bill of lading. Unlike a bill of lading, it is never a document of title.

A carrier's receipt, a contract of carriage, and a document of title. No other shipping document does all three.

A statement of where goods were produced, usually stamped by a chamber of commerce.

The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. It is the weight the carrier bills on.

A bill on which the carrier has noted no damage or shortage. The opposite is a claused bill, and banks reject claused bills.

The consignment note for international road transport in Europe, issued in three copies.

The party that takes delivery. On a bill of lading, the consignee box decides who can claim the cargo.

Where LCL cargo is consolidated into containers and broken out again at the other end.

A charge for leaving a container inside the terminal beyond its free time.

A charge for keeping a container after taking it out of the terminal, until you return it empty.

Any mismatch between your documents and the terms of a letter of credit. The bank can refuse for it, however small it is.

The days allowed before demurrage or detention starts. It is set in the contract and does not depend on whose fault a delay is.

Goods plus packaging plus pallet. The figure that must match across every document.

The international product classification that decides your duty rate.

A bill issued by a forwarder or NVOCC to its customer. It sits under the ocean carrier's master bill.

Ten data elements US importers must file at least 24 hours before ocean cargo is loaded abroad.

Eleven three-letter rules dividing cost, risk and customs duties between seller and buyer.

A bank's undertaking to pay against documents that comply exactly with stated terms.

A promise to cover a carrier's loss for doing something its rules do not normally allow.

The marks printed on the outside of packages, so a specific carton can be found without unloading everything.

The goods alone, without any packaging.

A carrier that issues bills of lading in its own name without owning ships.

The party the carrier contacts when the goods arrive. Being notified gives no right to the goods.

A signed acknowledgement that goods arrived, and the trigger for payment on many terms.

The tests that decide where goods legally originate. They are written for each tariff heading.

A receipt and contract of carriage that is not a document of title. No original to surrender.

The party that hands the goods to the carrier. The shipper is also responsible for the VGM.

The change that gives goods a new origin: a new name, character or use.

A second set of bills that replaces the first, usually so the final buyer does not see who the supplier is.

The packaging by itself, or the empty container's own weight.

A message from the carrier's origin office letting destination release cargo without an original.

A preferential origin claim for US–Mexico–Canada trade. There is no official form.

The certified weight of a packed container. Without it, the container is not loaded.