Glossary

Trade & logistics
glossary

Cross-border trade has a language of its own. We've gathered the terms you'll meet most often and explained each one in plain English — what it means, and why it matters to your cargo.

A–Z

Know the terms

Browse the full glossary alphabetically. Open any term for a fuller definition and the concepts it connects to.

B C D F G H I L M R T

B

Bill of Lading

The carrier's document that receipts cargo and controls who claims it.

Bonded Warehouse

A customs-approved store where imported goods sit duty-deferred.

Certificate of Origin

A document certifying the country where goods were produced.

Chargeable Weight

Whichever is greater — a shipment's actual weight or its volume.

Consignee

The party named on the documents to receive the goods at destination.

Customs Bond

A financial guarantee that an importer will pay duties owed to customs.

Customs Broker

A licensed agent who files entries and clears your goods with customs.

Demurrage

Daily charges for leaving a container in the terminal past free time.

Drayage

The short truck move between a port or rail terminal and a nearby site.

FCL

Full Container Load — a whole container booked for one shipper.

Free Trade Zone

A zone where goods are stored or processed with duty suspended.

Freight Class

The rating that sets less-than-truckload pricing in North America.

Freight Forwarder

The agent that arranges shipments on behalf of the cargo owner.

Groupage

Combining several shippers' small loads into one larger movement.

HS Code

The global product code that decides duty, restrictions and reporting.

Incoterms

The rules that fix where cost and risk pass from seller to buyer.

Intermodal

One sealed container moving across modes without being unpacked.

LCL

Less than Container Load — small cargo sharing a box with others.

Letter of Credit

A bank's promise to pay the seller once the right documents are shown.

Manifest

The full list of every consignment carried on a vessel or flight.

Reefer

A refrigerated container that holds a set climate for sensitive cargo.

TEU

Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit — the standard measure of container capacity.

Track & Trace

Following a shipment's position and milestones from booking to delivery.

Transshipment

Moving cargo to a second vessel at a hub port instead of sailing direct.

Trade & logistics glossary