Shipping Terms

  A&CP:- Anchors and Chains Proved

aa: Always Afloat
Aar: Against all risks
AB: Able-bodied seaman
ABS: American Bureau of shipping
Abt:- About (also abt.) Account
A/C Add: Addressed
Addtl:- Additional
A.D.I.S- Automated computer based Data Interchange System
Adk:- Awning deck (Lloyd's Register)
Adv:- Advice
Adval:- Ad valorem. (According to value)
A/F: Advanced freight
A/F: Also for (referring to port or ports to be touched by the ship)
A.F.R.A:- Average Freight Rate Assessment
AFT: After end of ship
A.G.B: Any good brand
Agt: Agent; Against
AH:- After hatch (chartering)
AHD: Ahead (shipping)
AH RANGE: Ports within the Antwerp-Hamburg range
AI.C.S:- Associate of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
A.I.F.T.A: Associate Institute Freight Trades Association; Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area
AMT: Amount
AN: Arrival Notice
ANF:- Arrival Notification Form Advice to Consignee of goods coming forward
ANS:- Answer
A/o:- Account of (also AO.)
AOB: As on Board
AP:- Additional premium/Average payable
APPRO:-Approval
APPROX Approximately
AR:- Arrived (shipping news)
A/R:- All risks (also A.R.) Regards to Insurance; Against all risks (also a.a.r) Marine Insurance
AS:- After sight/Account sales/Alongside ASABOSA:- Association of Ships Agents and
Brokers of South Africa A.S.A.P: As soon as possible
A/Side: Alongside (also A/S) A.T.A: Actual Time of Arrival
ATS:- All time saved
A.T.S.D.O:- All Time Saved Discharging Only (chartering) also a.t.s.d.o.
A.T.S.L.O:- All Time Saved Loading Only (chartering) also a.t.s.l.o.
AV: Available Container
A.W.T.S.B.E:- All Working Time Saved Both Ends(also a.w.t.s.b.e) chartering
A.W.T.S.D.O:- All Working Time Saved
Discharging Only (chartering) also a.w.ts.d.o.
A.W.T.S.L.O: All Working Time Saved Loading Only (chartering) also a.w.t.s.l.o.
B-Breadth; Beam-naval architecture; Bale also B/-; Bag also B/- or Bg; Position of centre of
buoyancy-naval architecture; Bridge-Lloyd's register; Bale capacity - in cubic metres-Lloyd's  register
BAF Bunker Adjustment Factor - Freight adjustment factor to reflect current cost of
 bunkers.
BAL Balance-also bal. BBB: Before Breaking Bulk, i.e. before opening hatches to discharge
BC: Buyers Option
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BCV: Barge carrying vessel BD:- Bank Draft, Bar Draft (grain trade)
Bdi:- Both Dates Inclusive Bdls:- Bundles
B/E:- Bill of Entry Customs
Bf: Brought forward
BFC Baltimore Form Charter Party- used for
Grain cargoes BHP Brake Horse Power
BIFA: British International Freight Association of
freight forwarders
BIMCO: Baltic and International Maritime
Council. A Danish based organisation to which
many shipowners belong that represents their
Interests and assists by preparing standard
charter parties and other shipping documents and
providing other advisory services.
bkg:- Banking
B/L:- Bill of Lading
BN:- Booking Note 8.0: Brought over
B/P-Bills payable
B.P.B: Bank Post Bill
BS:- Bill of Sale/Bill of Store
BSC: British Shippers Council
BSI: British Standards Institution. The authorised body for the preparation of national standards in the U.K. Blank Endorsement.
BSR: Basic service rate-sea freight element of the tariff
BSt:- Bill of Sight bt. Berth Terms
bt:- Billion tons
btd:- Barrels per day
BV:- Bureau Veritas - French ship classification
society bxs:- Boxes
C&D - Collection and Delivery. Carriage from/to
Customer's premises to/from CFS. C&E:- Customs and Excise
C&E.T: Customs and Excise Tariff
C&F:- Cost and Freight. A conventional port-to- port Incoterm term of sale. More correctly
known as CFR
C&I: Cost and Insurance
CA: Cabotage
CABAF:-Currency and Bunker Adjustment
Factor. A combination of CAF and BAF. CAC: Controlled Atmosphere Carriers/
Containers C.A.D.-Cash Against Documents
CAF Container Availability Forecast. Also
Currency Adjustment Factor, Freight adjustment Factor, to reflect currency exchange fluctuations.
C.A.N:- Customs Assigned Number
cancl:- Cancelled; canceling - chartering cap: Capacity
CAP: Eu. Common Agricultural Policy. EC Policy relating to agricultural produce.
CAPT:- Captain
CB:-Container base. Container freight stations
C.B.D: Cash Before Delivery
C.C.C-Customs Co-operation Council. The forum for international co-operation between Customs
authorities in an attempt to provide harmony and
uniformity of approach.
C.C.E: Collector of Customs and Excise
C.C.T: Common Customs Tariff
CCM-Central Container Management
CCO: Container Cartage order CCU:- Clip-on Unit
C.DK: Containers carried on Deck - Lloyd's
register CEAC Chief Executive's Advisory Committee Cert Certificate
CF-Carried forward
CFB: Citrus Fruit Board
CHQ:- Cheque
C/I-Certificate of insurance
CIF:- Cast, Insurance and Freight. A conventional port-to-port only, Incoterm term of sale.
CIFC&I:- Cost, insurance, freight, commission and interest
CIP: Carriage and Insurance paid To a new Combined Transport Incoterm replacing CIF
where CT is involved but applicable to all modes of transport. Particularly appropriate for Combined Transport
CIR:- Container Inspection Report CK.D:- Completely Knocked Down; Cars Knocked
Down CMI: Comite Maritime International. An
International committee of maritime lawyers.
Cmpl: Completed - Lloyd's register
CN: Credit note, Consignment note, Cover
c/o: Care of; Carried over
CO: Container Operator/Certificate of origin
c.o.a: Cash on Arrival
CO.A: Contract of Affreightment
COB: Close of Business
COD: Change of Destination Coll: Collision-Lloyd's register
Com:- Commission
Consgt: Consignment
C.O.P: Counter Opposition Policy. Custom of the port.
c.o.p:- Cash on Presentation of documents
COT: Customer's Own Transport Customer collects from/ delivers to CFS/CY
COTIF: Eu. Convention Concerning International carriage by Rail
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