| 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. |
| Cabotage |
Water
transportation term applicable to shipments between ports of a nation; commonly refers to
coast-wise or inter-coastal navigation or trade. Many nations, including the United
States, have cabotage laws which require national flag vessels to provide domestic
interport service. |
| 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. |
| Carnet |
A Customs
document permitting the holder to temporarily carry or send merchandise into certain
foreign countries (for display, demonstration or similar purposes) without paying duties
or posting bonds. Any of various Customs documents required for crossing some
international borders. |
| Captain's
Protest |
A document
prepared by the captain of a vessel on arriving at port; shows conditions encountered
during voyage, generally for the purpose of relieving ship owner of any loss to cargo and
shifting responsibility for reimbursement to the insurance company. |
| Carfloat |
A barge
equipped with tracks on which up to about 12 railroad cars are moved in harbors or inland
waterways. |
| Car
Pooling |
Use of
individual carrier/rail equipment through a central agency for the benefit of carriers and
shippers. |
| Car
Seal |
Metal strip
and lead fastener used for locking freight car or truck doors. Seals are numbered for
record purposes. |
| Cargo |
Freight
loaded into a ship. |
| Cargo
Manifest |
A manifest
that lists all cargo carried on a specific vessel voyage. |
| Cargo
NOS |
Cargo Not
Otherwise Specified. Usually the rate entry in a tariff that can apply to commodities not
covered under a specific item or sub item in the applicable tariff. |
| Cargo
Preference |
Cargo
reserved by a Nation's laws for transportation only on vessels registered in that Nation.
Typically the cargo is moving due to a direct or indirect support or activity of the
Government. |
| 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.) |
| Carload
Rate |
A rate
applicable to a carload of goods. |
| Carrier |
Any person
or entity who, in a contract of carriage, undertakes to perform or to procure the
performance of carriage by rail, road, sea, air, inland waterway or by a combination of
such modes. |
| Carrier's
Certificate |
A
certificate required by U.S. Customs to release cargo properly to the correct party. |
| Cartage |
Usually
refers to intra city hauling on drays or trucks. |
| Cartment |
Customs
form permitting in bond cargo to be moved from one location to another under Customs
control, within the same Customs district. Usually in motor carrier's possession while
draying cargo. |
| Cash
Against Documents (CAD) |
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. |
| Cash
in Advance (CIA) |
A method of
payment for goods in which the buyer pays the seller in advance of the shipment of goods.
Usually employed when the goods, such as specialized machinery, are built to order. |
| Cash
With Order (CWO) |
A method of
payment for goods in which cash is paid at the time of order and the transaction becomes
binding on both buyer and seller. |
| CBM
(CM) |
Abbreviation
for "Cubic Meter." |
| CE |
Abbreviation
for "Consumption Entry." The process of declaring the importation of foreign
made goods for use in the United States. |
| Cells |
The
construction system employed in container vessels; permits ship containers to be stowed in
a vertical line with each container supporting the one above it. |
| Center
of Gravity |
The point
of equilibrium of the total weight of a containership, truck, train or a piece of cargo. |
| Certificate |
- A
document certifying that merchandise (such as of Inspection perishable goods) was in good
condition immediately prior to its shipment.
- The document issued by the U.S. Coast Guard certifying an American flag vessel's
compliance with applicable laws and regulations. |
| 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. |
| Charter
Party |
A written
contract between the owner of a vessel and the person desiring to employ the vessel
(charterer); sets forth the terms of the arrangement such as duration of agreement,
freight rate and ports involved in the trip. |
| Chassis |
A frame
with wheels and container locking devices in order to secure the container for movement. |
| Chock |
A piece of
wood or other material placed at the side of cargo to prevent rolling or moving sideways. |
| CI |
Abbreviation
for "Cost and Insurance." A price that includes the cost of the goods, the
marine insurance and all transportation charges except the ocean freight to the named
point of destination. |
| 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. |
| CKD |
Abbreviation
for "Completely Knocked Down." Parts and subassemblies being transported to an
assembly plant. |
| CL |
Abbreviation
for "Carload" and "Containerload". |
| Claim |
A demand
made upon a transportation line for payment on account of a loss sustained through its
alleged negligence. |
| Classification
|
A
publication,such as Uniform Freight Classification (railroad) or the National Motor
Freight Classification (motor carrier), that assigns ratings to various articles and
provides bill of lading descriptions and rules. |
| Classification
Rating |
The
designation provided in a classification by which a class rate is determined. |
| Classification
Yard |
A railroad
yard with many tracks used for assembling freight trains. |
| Clayton
Act |
An anti
trust act of the U.S. Congress making price discrimination unlawful. |
| Clean
Bill of Lading |
A receipt
for goods issued by a carrier with an indication that the goods were received in
"apparent good order and condition," without damage or other irregularities. If
no notation or exception is made, the B/L is assumed to be "cleaned." |
| Cleaning
in Transit |
The
stopping of articles, such as peanuts, etc., for cleaning at a point between the point of
origin and destination. |
| Clearance |
The size
beyond which cars or loads cannot use Limits bridges, tunnels, etc. |
| Cleat |
A strip of
wood or metal used to afford additional strength, to prevent warping, or to hold in place. |
| Clip-On |
Refrigeration
equipment attachable to an insulated container that does not have its own refrigeration
unit. |
| CM |
Abbreviation
for "Cubic Meter" (capital letters). |
| cm |
Abbreviation
for "centimeter." |
| Coastwise |
Water
transportation along the coast. |
| COD |
Abbreviation
for:
- Collect (cash) on Delivery.
- Carried on Docket (pricing). |
| COFC |
Abbreviation
for the Railway Service "Container On Flat Car." |
| COGSA |
Carriage of
Goods by Sea Act. U.S. federal codification passed in 1936 which standardizes carrier's
liability under carrier's bill of lading. U.S. enactment of The Hague Rules. |
| Collecting |
A bank that
acts as an agent to the seller's bank (the presenting bank). The collecting bank assumes
no responsibility for either the documents or the merchandise. |
| Collection |
A draft
drawn on the buyer, usually accompanied by documents, with complete instructions
concerning processing for payment or acceptance. |
| Combination
Export Mgr. |
A firm that
acts as an export sales agent for more than one noncompeting manufacturer. |
| Combination
Rate |
A rate made
up of two or more factors, separately published. |
| 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. |
| Commodity |
Article
shipped. For dangerous and hazardous cargo, the correct commodity identification is
critical. |
| Commodity
Rate |
A rate
published to apply to a specific article or articles. |
| Common
Carrier |
A
transportation company which provides service to the general public at published rates. |
| Common
Law |
Law that
derives its force and authority from precedent, custom and usage rather than from
statutes, particularly with reference to the laws of England and the United States. |
| Concealed
Damage |
Damage that
is not evident from viewing the unopened package. |
| Conference
|
An
association of ship owners operating in the same trade route who operate under collective
conditions and agree on tariff rates. |
| 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. |
| Connecting
Carrier |
A carrier
which has a direct physical connection with, or forms a link between two or more carriers. |
| Consignee |
A person or
company to whom commodities are shipped. |
| Consignee
Mark |
A symbol
placed on packages for identification purposes; generally a triangle,square, circle, etc.
with letters and/or numbers and port of discharge. |
| Consignment |
(1) A stock
of merchandise advanced to a dealer and located at his place of business, but with title
remaining in the source of supply.
(2) A shipment of goods to a consignee. |
| Consignor |
A person or
company shown on the bill of lading as the shipper. |
| Consolidation |
Cargo
containing shipments of two or more shippers or suppliers. Containerload shipments may be
consolidated for one or more consignees. |
| Consolidator |
A person or
firm performing a consolidation service for others. The consolidator takes advantage of
lower full carload (FCL) rates, and savings are passed on to shippers. |
| Construction
Differential Subsidy |
A program
whereby the U.S. government attempted to offset the higher shipbuilding cost in the U.S.
by paying up to 50% of the difference between cost of U.S. and non U.S. construction. The
difference went to the U.S. shipyard. It is unfunded since 1982. |
| Consul |
A
government official residing in a foreign country who represents the interests of her or
his country and its nationals. |
| Consular
Declaration |
A formal
statement describing goods to be shipped; filed with and approved by the consul of the
country of destination prior to shipment. |
| Consular
Invoice |
A document,
certified by a consular official, is required by some countries to describe a shipment.
Used by Customs of the foreign country, to verify the value, quantity and nature of the
cargo. |
| Consular
Visa |
An official
signature or seal affixed to certain documents by the consul of the country of
destination. |
| Consumption
Entry (CE) |
The process
of declaring the importation of foreign-made goods into the United States for use in the
United States. |
| 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. |
| Container
Booking |
Arrangements
with a steamship line to transport containerized cargo. |
| Container
Freight Station |
See CFS. |
| Container
Manifest |
Document
showing contents and loading sequence of a container. |
| Container
Pool |
An
agreement between parties that allows the efficient use and supply of containers. A common
supply of containers available to the shipper as required. |
| Container
Terminal |
An area
designated for the stowage of cargoes in container; usually accessible by truck, railroad
and marine transportation. Here containers are picked up, dropped off, maintained and
housed. |
| Container
Yard (CY) |
A materials
handling/storage facility used for completely unitized loads in containers and/or empty
containers. Commonly referred to as CY. |
| Containerizable
Cargo |
Cargo that
will fit into a container and result in an economical shipment. |
| Containerization |
Stowage of
general or special cargoes in a container for transport in the various modes. |
| Container
Load |
A load
sufficient in size to fill a container either by cubic measurement or by weight. |
| Contraband |
Cargo that
is prohibited. |
| Contract |
A legally
binding agreement between two or more persons/organizations to carry out reciprocal
obligations or value. |
| Contract
Carrier |
Any person
not a common carrier who, under special and individual contracts or agreements, transports
passengers or property for compensation. |
| Controlled
Atmosphere |
Sophisticated,
computer controlled systems that manage the mixtures of gases within a container
throughout an intermodal journey reducing decay. |
| Corner
Posts |
Vertical
frame components fitted at the corners of the container, integral to the corner fittings
and connecting the roof and floor structures. Containers are lifted and secured in a stack
using the castings at the ends. |
| Correspondent
Bank |
A bank
that, in its own country, handles the business of a foreign bank. |
| Cost,
Insurance and Freight (CIF) |
Cost of
goods, marine insurance and all transportation (freight) charges are paid to the foreign
point of delivery by the seller. |
| Countervailing
Duty |
An
additional duty imposed to offset export grants, bounties or subsidies paid to foreign
suppliers in certain countries by the government of that country for the purpose of
promoting export. |
| Cross
Member |
Transverse
members fitted to the bottom side rails of a container, which support the floor. |
| Cu.
|
An
abbreviation for "Cubic." A unit of volume measurement. |
| Cube
Out |
When a
container or vessel has reached its volumetric capacity before its permitted weight limit |
| Cubic
Foot |
1,728 cubic
inches. A volume contained in a space measuring one foot high, one foot wide and one foot
long. |
| Customhouse |
A
government office where duties are paid, import documents filed, etc., on foreign
shipments. |
| Customhouse
Broker |
A person or
firm, licensed by the treasury department of their country when required, engaged in
entering and clearing goods through Customs for a client (importer). |
| Customs
|
Government
agency charged with enforcing the rules passed to protect the country's import and export
revenues. |
| Customs
Bonded Warehouse |
A warehouse
authorized by Customs to receive duty-free merchandise. |
| Customs
Entry |
All
countries require that the importer make a declaration on incoming foreign goods. The
importer then normally pays a duty on the imported merchandise. The importer's statement
is compared against the carrier's vessel manifest to ensure that all foreign goods are
properly declared. |
| Customs
Invoice |
A form
requiring all data in a commercial invoice along with a certificate of value and/or a
certificate of origin. Required in a few countries (usually former British territories)
and usually serves as a seller's commercial invoice. |
| Customs
of the Port |
A phrase
often included in charter parties and freight contracts referring to local rules and
practices which may impact upon the costs borne by the various parties. |
| Cut-Off
Time |
The latest
time cargo may be delivered to a terminal for loading to a scheduled train or ship. |
| Cwt.
|
Hundred
weight (United States, 100 pounds: U.K.,112) |
| CY |
-
Abbreviation for Container Yard.
- The designation for full container receipt/delivery. |
