A to Z comprehensive guide on international shipping, freight, customs, and foreign trade terms.
A legal document issued by a carrier to a shipper detailing the type, quantity, and destination of goods, serving as a receipt of shipment and a document of title.
Standard international trade rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) defining responsibilities between buyers and sellers regarding costs, risks, and transport (e.g. FOB, CIF, EXW, DDP).
The commercial fee or rate charged by a transport carrier for moving cargo from its origin to a designated global destination via sea, road, air, or rail.
An ocean shipping arrangement where an entire standard shipping container (20ft, 40ft, or 40ft HC) is exclusively reserved for one shipper's cargo.
A shipping method where cargo belonging to multiple independent shippers is consolidated into a single shared container to optimize shipping costs.
A road freight transportation mode where an entire semi-trailer is fully booked and dedicated to a single customer's cargo directly from origin to destination.
The transportation of relatively small freight shipments that do not require an entire trailer, consolidated with shipments from other companies traveling on the same corridor.
A fee levied by shipping lines when import or export containers remain inside terminal facilities beyond the allotted free storage time.
The movement of cargo from origin to destination using at least two different transportation modes under a single contract and bill of lading.
An official trade document certifying that products in a particular export shipment have been completely obtained, produced, manufactured, or processed in a specific country.
A binding letter from a financial institution guaranteeing that a buyer's payment to a seller will be received on time and for the correct amount against compliant shipping documents.
An official document that specifies details of goods being imported, exported, or transited through customs borders for duty calculation and compliance.
A standardized numerical method of classifying traded products utilized by customs authorities around the world to identify items when assessing duties and taxes.
A supply chain strategy where incoming goods from inbound carriers are directly transferred to outbound transport with minimal or zero intermediate warehouse storage.
Trading operations where goods acquired from one foreign nation are sold directly to another without entering domestic customs territory, leveraging Free Trade Zones.
The specialized transport of heavy, oversized, or high-value freight that exceeds standard dimensions, requiring bespoke route planning, permits, and multi-axle trailers.
A non-negotiable legal receipt issued by an international airline that covers the transport of goods from airport of departure to airport of destination.
The standardized international railway bill utilized for cross-border freight transportation across European and Eurasian rail corridors.
