COMMON EXPORT & SHIPPING ABBREVIATIONS.

AAA

Association of Average Adjusters

 

ABCC

Arab British Chamber of Commerce

 

A/C

Account

 

Act of God

Any act which could not have been prevented by human care and forethought

 

ADR

EU agreement for international carriage of dangerous goods by road

 

AF

Advance Freight (such as prior to shipment)

 

AMT

Air Mail Transfer

 

AN

Advice Note

 

ANF

Arrival Notification Form

 

A/O

Account Of

 

AP

Additional Premium

 

ASEAN

Association of South East Asia Nations

 

ASWP

Any Safe World Port

 

ASSP

Any Safe Suitable Port

 

ATA

Admission Temporaries - Temporary Admission

 

ATP

Accord Transports Perishable (European agreement on the
international carriage of perishable foodstuffs)

 

ATR

Admission Temporaire Roulette - Temporary Admission on Wheels

 

AV

Freight rate based on value of goods shipped

 

AWB

Air Waybill

 

BAF

Bunkerage Adjustment Factor on shipping rates

 

BB

Bill Book

 

BD

Bond

 

B/D

Bankers Draft

 

BDI

Both Days Included

 

B/E

Bill of Exchange

 

BF

Back Freight for goods being returned to point of origin

 

BIFA

British International Freight Association

 

BKG

Breakage

 

BKGE

Brokerage

 

BL

Bulk Licence to cover a trading period, or value

 

B/L

Bill of Lading

 

BOND

guarantee to Customs for payment of duty or tax

 

BOTB

British Overseas Trade Board

 

BP

Bills Payable

 

BR

Bills Received

 

BS

Bill of Sight used for Customs declaration when the
importer is unable to furnish all documents

 

B/S

Bill of Sale

 

BSEC

Black Sea Economic Co-operation

 

BSI

British Standards Institution

 

BST

British Summer Time

 

CAA

Civil Aviation Authority

 

CAD

Cash Against Documents

 

CAF

Currency Adjustment Factor for sea freight rates

 

CAP

Common Agricultural Policy

 

CARICOM

Caribbean Community

 

Carr Fwd

Carriage Forward

 

CB

Container Base

 

CBD

Cash Before Delivery

 

CBM

Cubic Metre

 

CCC

Customs Clearance Certificate

 

CCCN

Customs Co-Operation Council Nomenclature
(formerly BTN Brussels Tariff Nomenclature)

 

CCM

Caribbean Common Market

 

CC/O

Certificate of Consignment/Origin

 

C&D

Collected & Delivered

 

CD

Customs Declaration

 

CDV

Current Domestic Value

 

C&E

Customs & Excise

 

CE

Community European - quality mark on goods

 

CET

Central European Time

 

CEN

European Standards Office

 

C&F

Cost & Freight

 

cf

Cubic Feet

 

CFR

Cost & Freight (named port of destination)

 

CHIEFS

The UK Customs electronic system for both export and
import transactions

 

ch pd

Carriage Paid

 

ch ppd

Carriage Pre-paid

 

C/I

Consular Invoice/Certificate of Insurance

 

CIF

Cost Insurance & Freight (named port of destination)

 

CIF&C

Cost Insurance & Freight & Commission

 

CIFC&I

Cost Insurance, Freight, Commission & Interest

 

CIM

Contract of movement by International Rail

 

CKD

Completely Knocked Down

 

CMR

Convention Merchandises Par Routes (conditions for the
international carriage of goods by road)

 

C/N

Consignment Note, Cover Note

 

C/NEE

Consignee

 

C/NOR

Consignor

 

CO or C/O

Certificate of Origin, Cash Order

 

COD

Cash On Delivery

 

COM/I

Commercial Invoice

 

COMET

Committee Of Middle East Trade

 

COMITEXTIL

Co-Ordination Committee for the Textile Industry in the EU

 

C of O

Certificate of Origin, note there are several different types

 

COI

Central Office of Information

 

COP

Certificate Of Posting

 

COTECHNA

A London based company engaged in pre inspection

 

CPA

Claims Payable Abroad

 

CPD

Charter Pays Due

 

CPT

Carriage Paid To (named destination)

 

CR

Current Rate, Carriers Risk, Compound Risk

 

CRN

Customs Registered Number

 

C/S

Currency Surcharge

 

CT

Community Transit

 

CTC

Customs Tarriff Code, now harmonised virtually world-wide

 

CTL

Constructive Total Loss

 

C/V

Certificate of Value

 

C/VO

Certificate of Value & Origin

 

CWO

Cash With Order

 

CY

Currency

 

D/A

Documents Against Acceptance, Days after Acceptance

 

DAF

Delivered At Frontier

 

DAN

Deferment Account Number

 

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid

 

DDU

Delivered Duty Unpaid

 

DEPS

Departmental Entry Processing System

 

DEQ

Delivered Ex Quay (named port of destination)

 

DES

Delivered Ex Ship (named port of destination)

 

DFT

Draft

 

DGN

Dangerous Goods Note, they vary according to transport mode

 

DK

Dock

 

D/N

Debit Note/Despatch Note

 

D/O

Delivery Order

 

D/P

Documents against Payment, Direct Port

 

DS

Days after Sight

 

DWT

Dead Weight Tonnage

 

DY or DELY

Delivery

 

E&OE

Errors & Omissions Excepted

 

ECA

Economic Co-Operation Administration

 

ECE

Economic Commission for Europe

 

ECGD

Export Credits Guarantee Department, now privatised and the major part of their former
role is now conducted by NCM, a Dutch Credit Insurance Company

 

ECI

Export Consignment Identifier

 

EDI

Electronic Data Exchange

 

EDP

Electronic Date Processing

 

EEU

European Economic Union

 

EFTA

European Free Trade Area

 

EIA

European Information Association

 

EIS

Export Intelligence Service

 

EOHP

Except as Otherwise Herein Provided

 

EOM

End Of Month

 

EOTA

European Organisation for Technical Approvals

 

EOTC

European Organisation for Testing & Certification

 

ETA

Estimated Time of Arrival/European Technical Approvals

 

ETD

Estimated Time of Departure

 

ETS

Estimated Time of Sailing

 

EU

European Union

 

EX

Examined, Exchanged, Executed, Excluding, out of

 

EXD

Examined

 

EXW

Ex Works (named place)

 

FAA

Free of All Average

 

FAC

Forwarding Agents Commission

 

FAK

Freight of All Kinds

 

FAS

Free Alongside Ship

 

FCA

Free Carrier (named place)

 

FCL

Full Container Load

 

FCO

Franco

 

FCR

Freight Forwarders Certificate of Receipt

 

F&D

Freight & Demurrage

 

FIATA

International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association

 

FIB

Free In Bunker

 

FIO

Free In and Free Out

 

FIW

Free In Wagon

 

FO

Firm Order

 

FOB

Free On Board

 

FOC

Free Of Charge

 

FOD

Free Of Damage

 

FOR

Free On Rail

FOT

Free On Truck

FOV

Free On Vehicle

 

FP

Floating open cover marine insurance Policy

 

FP-C

Flash Point Celsius

 

FR

Freight Release

 

FRANCO FREE

For example Franco London - all charges paid to arrival London

 

FTA

Freight Transport Association or Free Trade Agreements

 

GA

General Average

 

GA CON

General Average Contribution

 

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, now known as
WTO (World Trade Organisation)

 

GRS WT

Gross Weight

 

GRT

Gross Registered Tonnage

 

GSP

Generalised System of Preferences

 

GV

Grand Vitesse

 

HAWB

House Airway Bill

 

HAZCHEM

Applicable in the UK - Dangerous Goods Rules of the
Road Haulage Association

 

HL

Heavy Lift

 

IATA

International Air Transport Association

 

IB

Invoice Book

 

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organisation

 

ICB

International Container Depot

 

ICC

International Chamber of Commerce

 

ICD

Inland Clearing Depot

 

ICPO

Irrevocable Corporate Purchasing Order

 

ICS

International Chamber of Shipping or
Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

 

ID

Import Duty

 

IFF

Institute of Freight Forwarders

 

I/L

Import Licence

 

IMF

International Monetary Fund

 

IMO

International Marine Organisation

 

IPR

Inward Processing Relief

 

IRC

International reply Coupon

 

IRD

Inland Rail Depot

 

ISO

International Standards Organisation

 

LAFTA

Latin American Free Trade Organisation

 

LASH

Lighter Aboard Ship

 

L/C

Letter of Credit, of which there are several forms

 

LCL

Less than full Container Load

 

LDG

Loading

 

LEC

Local Export Clearance

 

LO/LO

Lift On / Lift Off

 

MAWB

Master Air Waybill

 

MCD

Miscellaneous Cash Payment

 

MD

Malicious Damage

 

MIP

Marine Insurance Policy

 

MR

Mates Receipt

 

MT

Mail Transfer

 

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Area

 

NCV

No Commercial Value

 

NEI

Not Elsewhere Included

 

NES

Not Elsewhere Specified

 

NET WT

Net Weight

 

NSSN

National Standard Shipping Note

 

N/T

Net Terms

 

O/A

On Account of

 

OAU

Organisation of African Unity

 

O/C

Open Cover, Open Charter, Over Charge

 

OCTs

The Overseas Countries & Territories of member states
associated with the EU under Part 4 of The Treaty of Rome

 

O/D

On Demand or Overdrawn

 

OECD

Organisation for European Co-Operation & Development

 

OGL

Open General Licence

 

O/O

Order Of

 

OP

Open or floating cargo insurance Policy

 

OPR

Outward Processing Relief

 

O/R

Owner's Risk

 

ORD

Order

 

OSI

Open Systems Interconnection (Computer Standards)

 

OTAR

Overseas Tariffs And Regulations

 

P/A

Private Account, Particular Average, Power of Attorney

 

P/C

Private Current, Percent

 

per pro

on behalf of

 

PIRA

Packing Industry Research Association

 

PKD

Partially Knocked Down

 

PL

Partial Loss

 

PLA

Port of London Authority

 

POA

Place of Acceptance

 

PO

Post Office

 

POD

Proof Of Delivery

 

Post Entry

UK Customs export declaration up to 14 days after shipment

 

PR

Parcel Receipt

 

Pre Entry

UK Customs export declaration prior to delivering to the carrier

 

QTY

Quantity

 

RHA

Road Haulage Association

 

RN

Removal Note

 

RO / RO

Roll-On / Roll-Off

 

SAD

Single Administrative Document

 

SAE

Stamped Addressed Envelope

 

SB

Short Bill, payable on demand or sight

 

SCP

Simplified Customs Procedure

 

SD

Sight Draft, Short Delivery

 

SDBL

Sight Draft, with Bill of Lading attached

 

SDR

Special Drawing Rights

 

SGS

Pre-Shipment Inspection Company Based in Switzerland

 

SITC

Standard International Trade Classification

 

SITPRO

Simplification of International Trade Procedures Board

 

S/N

Shipping Note

 

SOB

Shipped On Board

 

SR&CC

Strike Risk & Civil Commotion

 

STET

No Change

 

SWIFTAIR

Dedicated courier service operated by the Post Office (Royal Mail)

 

SWL

Safe Working Load

 

TARE

Weight of a container without goods

 

THE

Technical Help to Exporters (dept BSI)

 

TIR

Transport International Routers

 

TL

Total Loss

 

TMO

Telegraphic Money Order

 

TQ

Tariff Quota

 

TT

Telegraphic Transfer

 

TURN

Trader Unique Reference Number (renamed DAN number)

 

U/D

Under Deck

 

ULD

Unit Load Device

 

UN

United Nations

 

UNCTAD

the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

 

U / W

Underwriter

 

VAT

Value Added Tax

 

WA

With Average

 

WB

Waybill, Wharehouse Book

 

W/M

Weight or Measure, basis for sea freight rates

 

WPA

With Particular Average

 

WR

Warehouse Receipt

 

WRO

War Risks Only

 

WTO

World Trade Organisation (formally GATT)

 

YAR

York Antwerp Rules (used in marine insurance)