For global buyers and suppliers, knowing the common sourcing terms in the first place is crucial to effective communications when trading with overseas clients professionally.
To save you time, we have prepared the following A-Z glossary for your easy reference! Be sure to bookmark this page and refer from time to time:
A:
Abbreviation | Term |
ATA | Actual Time of Arrival |
ATD | Actual Time of Departure |
AWB | Air Waybill |
ASAP | As Soon As Possible |
B:
Abbreviation | Term |
B/L | Bill of Lading |
B2B | Business to Business |
B2C | Business to Consumer |
B/E | Bill of Entry |
(N/A) | Balance |
BAF | Bunker Adjustment Factor |
B/R | Bill Rate |
C:
Abbreviation | Term |
C/O | Certificate of Origin |
CIF | Cost, Insurance, and Freight |
C/I | Commercial Invoice |
CIP | Carriage and Insurance Paid |
CFR | Cost and Freight |
CBM | Cubic Meter |
CAD | Canadian Dollar |
COC | Certificate of Conformity |
CEU | Forty-foot High Cube Equivalent Unit |
CY | Container Yard |
CFS | Container Freight Station |
CAF | Currency Adjustment Factor |
CNTR | Container |
CNTR NO. | Container Number |
C.S.C | Container Service Charge |
C/CNEE | Consignee |
CHB | Customs House Broker |
COMM | Commodity |
D:
Abbreviation | Term |
DDP | Delivered Duty Paid |
DDU | Delivered Duty Unpaid |
DAP | Delivered at Place |
DAF | Delivered at Frontier |
DEQ | Delivered EX Quay |
DES | Delivered EX Ship |
DG | Dangerous Goods |
D/A | Documents Against Acceptance |
D/P | Documents Against Payment |
D&D | Demurrage and Detention |
DL/DLS | Dollars |
DOC | Document |
DOC# | Document number |
DOZ/DZ | Dozen |
D/O | Delivery Order |
Disc | Discount |
E:
Abbreviation | Term |
EXP | Export |
EA | Each |
ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
ETD | Estimated Time of Departure |
(N/A) | Enc/Encl/Attachment |
EXW | Ex Works |
EUR | Euro |
ECRS | Emergency cost recovery surcharge |
ETC | Estimated Time of Closing |
EBS | Emergency Bunker Surcharge |
EBA | Emergency Bunker Adjustment |
EPS | Equipment Position Surcharges |
F:
Abbreviation | Term |
FCL | Full Container Load |
FOB | Free on Board |
FEU-40 | Forty-foot Equivalent Unit |
FCA | Free Carrier |
FAS | Free Alongside Ship |
FAF | Fuel Adjustment Factor |
FAC | Facsimile |
Form A | Certificate of Origin |
F/F | Freight Forwarder |
FAK | Freight All Kinds |
FMC | Federal Maritime Commission |
FIO | Free ln and Out |
G:
Abbreviation | Term |
GBP | British Pound |
GP | General Purpose |
G.W. | Gross Weight |
G.S.P. | Generalized System of Preferences |
H-N
H:
Abbreviation | Term |
HS Code | Harmonized System Code |
HBL | House Bill of Lading |
HC | High Cube |
H/C | Handling Charge |
I:
Abbreviation | Term |
IPO | Initial Public Offering |
IFA | Interim Fuel Adjustment |
INT | International |
IMP | Import |
I/S | Inside Sales |
IA | Independent Action |
J:
Abbreviation | Term |
JP | Japanese Yen |
L:
Abbreviation | Term |
LCL | Less than Container Load |
L/C | Letter of Credit |
L/B | Land Bridge |
LDP | Landed Duty Paid |
M:
Abbreviation | Term |
MOQ | Minimum Order Quantity |
MSDS | Material Safety Data Sheet |
MBL | Master Bill of Lading |
MIN | Minimum |
MV | Merchant Vessel |
MT | Metric Ton |
M/T | Measurement Ton |
Max | Maximum |
MLB | Mini Land Bridge |
Mother Vessel | Mother Vessel |
MTD | Multimodal Transport Document |
N:
Abbreviation | Term |
N/M | No Mark |
N.W. | Net Weight |
NOVCC | Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier |
N/F | Notify |
O-T
O:
Abbreviation | Term |
OEM | Original Equipment Manufacturer |
ODM | Original Design Manufacturer |
O/F | Ocean Freight |
O/T | Open Top |
ORC | Original Receiving Charge |
OCP | Overland Continental Point |
OP | Operation |
P:
Abbreviation | Term |
PKG | Package |
PCE/PCS | Piece/Pieces |
PCT | Percentage |
PUR | Purchase |
PR | Price |
PSS | Peak Season Surcharge |
P/O | Purchase Order |
P/I | Proforma Invoice |
P/L | Packing List |
POD | Port of Destination |
POL | Port of Loading |
P/P | Freight Prepaid |
PCS | Port Congestion Surcharge |
PTF | Panama Canal Surcharge |
Q:
Abbreviation | Term |
QC | Quality Control |
QA/QC | Quality Assurance/Quality Control |
R:
Abbreviation | Term |
REF | Reference |
RMB | Renminbi |
ROHS | Restriction of Hazardous Substances |
RMA | Return Merchandise Authorization |
RF | Refrigerated |
S:
Abbreviation | Term |
S.S | Ship Steam |
S/(Shpr) | Shipper |
S/R | Selling Rate |
STL | Style |
SSL | Steam Ship Line |
S/C | Sales confirmation |
S/O | Shipping Order |
S/M | Shipping Masks |
SOC | Shipper Owned Container |
S/D | Documentation Charge |
S/C | Sales Contract |
S/B | Customs Declaration |
S.P | Special Point |
S/No | Serial Number |
S.T.C. | Said To Contain |
S.W.L | Safe Working Load |
SHS | Shanghai port Surcharge |
SDR | Special Drawing Rights |
T:
Abbreviation | Term |
T/T | Telegraphic Transfer |
THC | Terminal Handling Charges |
TTL | Total |
T/TX/LTX | Telex |
T/S | Transship |
TEU | Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit |
TDC | Truck Delivery Charge |
T.O.C | Terminal Operations Option |
T.R.C | Terminal Receiving Charge |
TVC/TVR | Time Volume Contract/Rate |
U-Z
U:
Abbreviation | Term |
U/M | Under-Mentioned |
USD | United States Dollar |
V:
Abbreviation | Term |
VGM | Verified Gross Mass |
VAT | Value-Added Tax |
VSL | Vessel |
Vessel/Voyage | Vessel/Voyage |
VOCC | Vessel Operating Common Carrier |
W:
Abbreviation | Term |
WT | Weight |
W/O | Without |
W/H | Warehouse Handling |
W/M | Weight or Measurement Ton |
Y:
Abbreviation | Term |
YAS | Yard Surcharges |
Z:
Abbreviation | Term |
ZIP | Zone Improvement Plan |
We hope the above can facilitate a precise usage and understanding of trade terms when engaging in such business activities and negotiations.
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