A.I.D.
Agency for International Development. Organization that coordinates assistance given to countries suffering from war, epidemics, famine, etc.
A.T.A.
American Truckers Association.
AAR / A.A.R.
"Against All Risks" clause in insurance policies, or Association of American Railroads.
ABAFT
A point on a ship toward the stern or between the stern and the middle.
ABANDON
A decision by the shipper or consignee to relinquish ownership of the cargo.
ABI
Automated Broker Interface; EDI system used to execute import clearances with US Customs.
ABOARD
The state of cargo being on or within the transport vehicle.
ABSORPTION
When one carrier assumes the costs of another without shifting the expense to the shipper.
ACCEPTANCE
Agreement to purchase goods under defined terms, or the acknowledgement of a time draft/check.
ACCESSORIAL CHARGES
Additional surcharges added to the base tariff, such as container demurrage or currency adjustments.
ACQUIESCENCE
Implied acceptance of the terms of a bill of lading by signing it without a protest.
ACQUITTANCE
A document acknowledging release from further claims or liability concerning the cargo.
ACT OF GOD
Natural disaster or unavoidable event caused by nature.
AD VALOREM
Latin for "according to value," a term widely applied in customs duty and tax valuation models.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE
An administrative hearing officer in the US; ADMIRALTY refers to the maritime court.
ADVANCE
An upfront advance payment, or arranging to transport goods on a vessel reserved ahead of time.
ADVANCED CHARGES
Fees passed from one carrier to another, eventually collected from the consignee or shipper.
ADVENTURE
A shipment execution wherein the shipper explicitly agrees to assume all commercial risks.
ADVICE OF SHIPMENT
A dispatch notice detailing packaging parameters, routing, and instruction details for the receiver.
ADVISING BANK
The bank that initiates a commercial credit relationship on behalf of a merchant.
AFFREIGHTMENT, CONTRACT OF
A structured freight booking contract ensuring vessel space allocation at a specific rate tier.
AFT
The rear or stern structure portion of a ship or aircraft fuselage.
AGENCY TARIFF
A collective freight rate sheet published by an agent operating on behalf of multiple lines.
AGENT
An authorized entity or firm legally empowered to execute agreements on behalf of another party.
AGGREGATE SHIPMENT
Consolidated freight units originating from distinct vendors bundled as a single transport load.
AGREED WEIGHT
The mutual cargo weight baseline officially accepted by both the carrier and the cargo owner.
AIRWAY BILL
A non-negotiable air transport bill validating terms and acceptance of cargo carriage.
ALL IN
An all-inclusive pricing matrix capturing every terminal fee from origin to destination.
ALONGSIDE
The lateral zone directly adjacent to a ship's hull; the vessel's beam.
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
Surrounding atmospheric conditions encompassing a freight containment envelope.
AMERICAN BUREAU OF SHIPPING
The maritime board validating and registering seaworthiness for vessels under US registration.
AMS
Automated Manifest System utilized for processing manifest submissions by US Customs.
ANTI-DUMPING DUTY
A domestic industry protection tariff leveled against imported inventory sold below domestic cost.
ANY QUANTITY (A.Q.)
A clause stating shipping rates apply evenly without scaling based on load metrics.
APPARENT GOOD ORDER
An initial outward audit confirming the container skin exhibits no structural damage.
APPRAISEMENT
The legal custom-assessed computation validating market value parameters of commodities.
ARRIVAL NOTICE
A notification brief advising that a batch has finalized layout and arrived at terminal.
ASSIGNMENT
Assigning or endorsing a carriage paper or commercial certificate to execute transfer of equity.
ASTERN
The backward motion shift vector of a watercraft moving in reverse.
ATA CARNET
A global trade passport permitting customs-exempt provisional admission of display samples.
