| AAR: |
Abbreviation for Against All
Risks (insurance clause) or Association of American Railroads. |
| Abaft: |
A point beyond the midpoint of a
ship's length. |
| Abandon |
A proceeding wherein a shipper/consignee
seeks authority to abandon all or parts of their cargo. |
| Abatement |
A discount allowed for damage or
overcharge in the payment of a bill. |
| ABI |
Automated Broker Interface, US
Custom's computer system by which brokers file importers'
entries electronically. |
| Aboard |
Referring to cargo being put, or
laden, onto a means of conveyance |
| Absorption |
One carrier assumes the charges
of another without any increase in charges to the shipper. |
| Acceptance |
A time draft (or bill of exchange)
that the drawee (payer) has accepted and is unconditionally obligated to pay at maturity |
| Account
Party/Accountee |
The purchasing party, the
importer, the buyer in any transaction. |
| Accessorial
charges |
Charges that are applied to the
base tariff rate or base contract rate e.g. bunkers,
container, destination/delivery) |
| ACS |
Automated Commercial System, the
US Customs master computer system. |
| Act of God |
An act beyond human control, such
as lightning, flooding or earthquake |
| Act of Man |
In water transportation, the
deliberate sacrifice of cargo to make the vessel safe for the
remaining cargo. Those sharing in the spared cargo
proportionately cover the loss. |
| Ad Valorem |
According to value |
| Admiralty
(Adm. |
Refers to marine matters such as
Admiralty Court |
| Advance |
To move cargo up-line to a vessel
leaving sooner than the one booked |
| Advanced charge |
Transportation charge advanced by
one carrier to another to be collected by the later carrier
from the consignor or consignee |
| Adventure |
Shipment of goods on shipper's
own account. A bill of adventure is a document signed by the
master of the ship that carries goods at owner's risk |
| Advice, Letter of |
This document is sent by one
party to another to whom a shipment has been sent, on
consignment or otherwise. It involves a description of the
goods sent, the carrier or other type of transportation being
used, the date of departure, and any additional pertinent
data. (Bankers use the term letter of advice when notifying
interested parties of such actions as the opening of credits,
the drawing of drafts and the payment or nonpayment of drafts.) |
| Advice of
Shipment |
A notice sent to a local or
foreign buyer advising that shipment has gone forward and
containing details of packing, routing, etc. A copy of the
invoice is usually enclosed and sometimes, if desired, a copy
of the bill of lading. |
| Affreightment,
Contract of |
An agreement by an ocean carrier
to provide cargo space on a vessel at a specified time and for
a specified price to accommodate an exporter or importer |
| Aft |
Movement toward the stern (back
end) of a ship |
| Agency tariff |
A tariff published by an agent on
behalf of several carriers |
| Agent |
A person authorized to transact
business for and in the name of another person or company. Types
of agents are: brokers, commission merchants, esident
buyers,sales agents, manufacturer's representatives |
| Aggregate
Shipment |
Numerous shipments from different
shippers to one consignee that are consolidated and treated as
a single consignment |
| Agreed valuation |
The value of a shipment agreed
upon in order to secure a specific freight shipment. |
| Agreed weight |
The weight prescribed by
agreement between carrier and shipper for goods shipped in
certain packages or a certain number |
| A.I.D. |
Agency for International
Development |
| Air Waybill |
The forwarding agreement or
carrying agreement between shipper and air carrier and is
issued only in non-negotiable form |
| All-In |
The total price to move a
container from origin to destination, inclusive of all charges |
| All Water |
Transport exclusively by water |
| Alongside |
A phrase referring to the side of
a ship. Goods delivered "alongside" are to be placed
on the dock or barge within reach of the transport ship's
tackle so that they can be loaded |
| Alternative Rates |
Privilege to use the rate
producing the lowest charge |
| Ambient
Temperature |
The temperature of a surrounding
body. The ambient temperature of a container is the
atmospheric temperature to which it is exposed |
| Amendment |
A written notice of a change in
the terms of a letter of credit. The change becomes an
integral part of the original letter of credit |
| American Bureau
of Shipping |
US classification society which
certifies seagoing vessels for compliance to standardize rules
regarding construction and maintenance |
| AMS |
Automated Manifest System, U.S.
Customs computerized system to automate the flow of customs-related information among customs
brokers, importers, and carriers |
| Any-Quantity
(A.Q.) |
Usually refers to a rating that
applies to an article regardless of weight |
| Appraisement |
Determination of the dutiable
value of imported merchandise by a customs official who
follows procedures outlined in their country's tariff, such as
the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930, as amended |
| Arbitrary |
A stated amount over a fixed rate
to one point to make a rate to another point |
| Arrival Notice |
A notice from the ocean carrier
to the "notify party," indicating the vessel's
estimated arrival date; identifying shipment details such as
number of packages, weight, and container number; and
indicating when free time expires. Often includes a freight
invoice |
| ASC X12 |
American Standards Committee X12
responsible for developing EDI standards for the US |
| Assignment |
A term commonly used in
connection with a bill of lading. It involves the transfer of
rights, title and interest in order to assign goods by
endorsing the bill of lading |
| Astern |
Behind a vessel; move in a
reverse direction |
| A.T.A. |
American Trucking Association |
| ATLAS |
ACL's customer service and
documentation software |
| Athwartships |
A direction across the width of a
vessel |
| Avoirdupois Pound |
0.4535924277 kilograms |
