Glossary
Learn our logistics terminology.
A
Anti-dumping Duties (AD)
Anti-dumping duties is a type of product duties assessed by U.S. Customs.
Automated Export System (AES)
The Automated Export System (AES) is the automated system for filing U.S. Shipper’s Export Declarations.
Automated Manifest System (AMS)
The Automated Manifest System (AMS) is an electronic information transmission system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
B
Bill of Lading (BOL or B/L)
A bill of lading is a shipping document that outlines the voyage of a shipment.
Bonded Goods
Bonded goods are goods where the customs duty hasn't been paid yet, so they remain in warehouses under customs supervision until the duty is paid.
Blank Sailing
A blank sailing is a sailing that has been canceled by the carrier, which may mean one port is being skipped, or the entire string is canceled. Blank sailings happen for a couple of reasons.
Bonded Warehouse
A bonded warehouse is a customs-controlled warehouse where goods for which the duty has not been paid can be stored until the duty is paid.
Bobtail Fee
A bobtail fee is charged if the trucker drops off an FCL container at a warehouse and picks it up after it has been unloaded.
Break Bulk
Break bulk is described as cargo that does not fit in standard shipping containers or cargo bins.
C
CBP (Customs and Border Protection)
It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, as well as enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration.
CTPAT
CTPAT is the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. CTPAT certification confers several benefits for parties along the supply chain, including fewer Customs exams and access to the CTPAT portal.
Chassis
A chassis is a piece of trucking equipment used for trucking FCL shipments.
Commercial Invoice
A Commercial Invoice is a document used for Customs declaration, along with the Packing List
Country of Origin
Country of origin is the determination for trade purposes of where your goods are manufactured or produced.
CES (Centralized Examination Station)
A CES is where a shipment will be trucked if CBP has pulled it for inspection.
CY (Container Yard)
CY is short for 'Container Yard', which is where containers are stored on the terminal or dry port before they are loaded or offloaded from a ship. Containers are either stored for loading to be transported elsewhere, or offloaded as they arrive into the port or terminal.
Chassis Split
A chassis split fee is charged if the trucker has to make an additional trip to pick up a chassis, from a separate location.
Continuous Customs Bond
A customs bond is required to import goods into the United States, as a form of insurance to protect the U.S. Treasury. A continuous customs bond will cover all of your import shipments for one year.
Customs Entry
Customs entry is a declaration of the kind, amount, and value of goods being taken in or out of a country, for purposes of customs clearance.
CFS (Container Freight Station)
A container freight station is a warehouse that specializes in the consolidation and deconsolidation of cargo. A CFS will charge a fee.
Cargo Insurance
Cargo insurance is highly recommended, because any number of pitfalls might befall your shipment on its journey.
Commercial Invoice
A Commercial Invoice is a document used for Customs declaration, along with the Packing List
Countervailing Duties
Countervailing duties are applied to foreign goods in the U.S. that are manufactured with foreign subsidies.
Customs Valuation
This is a customs procedure applied to determine the customs value of imported goods. If the rate of duty is ad valorem, the customs value is essential to determine the duty to be paid on an imported good.
D
Delivery Order
A delivery order is how Comex communicates pickup and shipment details to the trucker.
Drayage
Transportation related to intermodal ocean containers from the ports.
Demurrage
​Demurrage fees are charged if your container has not been picked up from the port before the Last Free Day.
Drop Fee
A drop fee is charged by the trucker to drop off an FCL container at the warehouse and pick it up after it has been unloaded. This is also called a bobtail fee.
Detention
Detention, also known as per diem, is a fee charged for the extra days a container is away from port.
Duty
A duty is an indirect tax on the value of an imported or exported product.
E
EXW (Ex Works)
EXW is an incoterm that assigns the least amount of responsibility to the supplier.
Export Declaration
​An export declaration provides information about the goods being shipped to Customs. This information is used to regulate exports and to compile statistical information on foriegn trade.
Express Bill of Lading
An express bill of lading is a type of bill of lading that doesn't require the cargo to be "released."
F
Free Carrier (FCA)
FCA is an Incoterm that requires the seller to clear the goods for export and to either: deliver the goods to the buyer at the seller’s premises or deliver the goods to the buyer at another named place.
FOB (Free on Board)
FOB (Free on Board) is an incoterm that requires the seller to clear the goods for export, deliver the goods to the ocean vessel, and place the goods on board. Cost and risk transfer from the seller to the buyer once the goods cross the ship’s rail.
Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)
A Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is a special economic zone in which merchandise is not subject to duties or other taxes.
Full Container Load (FCL)
​A FCL container is one person's shipment that takes up a full container, as opposed to LCL.
FTA (Free Trade Agreement)
An FTA (Free Trade Agreement) is an agreement between two or more countries that reduces barriers to imports and exports among them.
Forklift
A forklift is used to move shipments in warehouses.
FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit)
An FEU is a unit of shipment volume, the size of a 40ft container.
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)
The FMC (Federal Maritime Commission) is the U.S. agency responsible for the regulation of ocean transportation.
Fuel Surcharge (FSC)
Trucking companies charge a fuel surcharge fee in order to protect themselves from the volatility of fuel prices.
H
High Cube Container (HC)
HC (high cube) containers are one foot taller than standard containers, increasing CBM (Cubic Meter) capacity. HC containers are typically available in 40' and 45' lengths.
HTS Codes
​HS (Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System) codes are product classification codes used by U.S. Customs and all other members of the World Customs Organization (WCO) to classify goods for customs purposes.
Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)
The Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is calculated at 0.125% of the cargo value, as declared on the commercial invoice.
I
ISF (Importer Security Filing)
An Importer Security Filing (ISF) documents 12 details about a shipment being imported to the United States via ocean. It is required by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
Importer of Record
An importer of record is the entity or individual who is responsible for all entry documents required by CBP (Customs Border Protection) and for the product classification and payment of duties, as well as any other import obligations.
Incoterms®
Incoterms® are an agreement between the seller and the buyer, defining who arranges for the payment and handling of goods.
J
Jones Act
The Jones Act is section 7 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 that prohibits any non-US built or non-US flagged vessel from participating in trade between points of the United States. Named after its sponsor Senator Wesley Jones, the Jones Act also extends employer liability of US vessel employee injuries.
Under the Jones Act, all vessels whose trading voyage begins anywhere in the US and delivers anywhere in the US (including Puerto Rico) must be built in the US, staffed by US crews, and owned by US citizens or corporations.
The Jones Act is administered by MARAD (United States Maritime Administration), an agency within the US Department of Transportation.
M
Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF)
The MPF is charged at 0.3464% of the cargo value that was declared on the commercial invoice, with a minimum of $27.75, and a maximum of $538.40 per entry. (If the entry value is less than $2,500, MPF is a $2.18 flat rate.) The minimum and maximum amounts increased to the rates listed above on January 24, 2022.
Note: The MPF is assessed for both dutiable and duty-free products. MPF may be waived for goods qualifying for certain Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), e.g. NAFTA and CAFTA. Ask your customs broker for more information.
N
Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC)
A Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) is an ocean carrier that transports goods under its own House Bill of Lading, or equivalent documentation, without operating ocean transportation vessels. Rather, an NVOCC leases space from another ocean carrier, or Vessel Operating Common Carrier (VOCC), that they sell to their own customers. An NVOCC can be described as a shipper to carriers and a carrier to shippers.
While NVOCCs do not usually own their own warehouses, many own their own fleet of containers. In certain circumstances, a NVOCC may also operate as a freight forwarder.
P
POA (Power of Attorney)
The importer of record must sign a POA to give customs brokers the ability to move a shipment and clear it through customs.
Pre-Pull
A pre-pull is when an ocean container is picked up from the port and stored at the trucker's yard, instead of being immediately delivered. A pre-pull may be used to help avoid demurrage fees.
Per Diem Charge
​Per diem, or detention, is charged for each day past the number of "free" days that a container is away from port.
Pier Pass Fee
The Pier Pass traffic mitigation fee is charged if your shipment is unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach during peak hours. It's part of the port's effort to reduce traffic congestion in the region, by incentivizing pickup during off-peak hours.
S
Stop-Off Fee
A stop-off fee may be charged if your shipment is split between two or more delivery locations.
Storage Charges
Storage charges are the cost of holding a shipment at a location (warehouse, CES, etc.) and will be on the final invoice if applicable.
Stuffing
Stuffing a container in logistics means to load a container.
T
Transloading
Transloading is the process of moving a shipment from one mode of transport to another. See below for why your shipment might be transloaded.
U
Ultimate Consignee
An ultimate consignee is the party who will be the final recipient of a shipment.
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