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| A. M. S. |
| The U.S. Customs "Automated Manifest System." | |
 | A. A. R. |
| Abbreviation for: - Against All Risks (insurance clause). - Association of American Railroads. | |
| A. B. I. |
| Automated Brokerage Interface Is a system available to U.S. Customs Brokers with the computer capabilities and customs certification to transmit and exchange customs entries and other information, facilitating prompt release of imported cargo. | |
| A. B. S. |
| See American Bureau of Shipping | |
| A. T. |
| American Terms (Marine Insurance) A term used to differentiate between the conditions of American Policies from those of other nations, principally England. | |
| ASYCUDA |
| Automated System for Customs Data. This program dealing with customs declarations has been developed by UNCTAD and is presently used by some 75 countries. | |
| ATDNSHINC |
| Any Time Day or Night, Sundays & Holidays INCluded. | |
| Abandon |
| A proceeding wherein a shipper/consignee seeks authority to abandon all or parts of their cargo. | |
| Abatement |
| A discount allowed for damage or overcharge in the payment of a bill. | |
| Able Bodied Seamen |
| A member of the deck crew who is able to perform all the duties of an experienced seamen; certificated by examination; must have three years sea service. Also called Able Seamen and A.B. | |
| Acceptance |
| |
| Acceptance of Goods |
| The process of receiving a consignment from a consignor, usually against the issue of a receipt. As from this moment and on this place the carrier's responsibility for the consignment begins. | |
| Accessorial Charges |
| Charges that are applied to the base tariff rate or base contract rate, e.g., bunkers, container, currency, destination/delivery. | |
| Acknowledgement of Receipt |
| A notification relating to the receipt of e.g. goods, messages and documents. | |
| Act of God |
| Accidents of a nature beyond human control such as flood, lightning or hurricane usually quoted as 'force majeure'. | |
| Ad Hoc Charter |
| A one-off charter operated at the necessity of an airline or charterer. | |
| Ad Valorem |
| Latin for "according to value". Ocean Freight can be rated on an "Ad Valorem" basis rather than on a weight, volume or box basis. In our days of containerization, this is not a common practice. You will find this term more commonly applied to breakbulk cargo and to customs duty. | |
| Admiralty Court |
| A court having jurisdiction over maritime questions pertaining to ocean transport, including contracts, charters, collisions, and cargo damages. | |
| Advance Against Documents |
| Load made on the security of the documents covering the shipment. | |
| Advanced Charge |
| A charge paid by a carrier to an agent or to another carrier, which the delivering carrier then collects from the consignee. Such charges are usually for agents' forwarding fees and incidental expenses paid out of pocket for account of the shipment by an agent or other carrier. | |
| Advising Bank |
| The bank (of the Exporter) that receives a letter of credit from the issuing bank (of the Importer), verifies its authenticity, and forwards the original letter of credit to the exporter without obligation to pay. | |
| Advisory Capacity |
| A term indicating that a shipper's agent or representative is not empowered to make definite decisions or adjustment without the approval of the group or individual represented. | |
| Affiliate |
| A company that controls, or is controlled by another company, or is one of two or more commonly controlled companies. | |
| Aft |
| At, near or towards the stern or rear of a vessel or an aircraft. | |
| Agency Agreement |
| The steamship line appoints the steamship agent and defines the specific duties and areas of responsibility of that agent. | |
| Agency Fee |
| Fee payable by a shipowner or ship operator to a port agent. | |
| Air Waybill |
| A bill of lading for Air Transport. Covers both domestic and international flights transporting goods to a specified destination. Technically, it is a nonnegotiable instrument of air transport which serves as the receipt for the shipper, indicating that the carrier has accepted the goods listed therein and obligates itself to carry the consignment to the airport of destination according to specified conditions. | |
| All In |
| The total price to move cargo from origin to destination, inclusive of all charges. | |
| All-Risk Clause |
| Is an insurance provision that all loss or damage to goods is insured except that of inherent vice (self caused). (See All Risk Insurance). | |
| All-Risk Insurance |
| A clause included in marine insurance policies to cover loss and damage from external causes, such as fire, collision, pilferage, etc. but not against innate flaws in the goods, such as decay, germination, nor against faulty packaging, improper packing/ loading or loss of market, nor against war, strikes, riots and civil commotions (See Marine Insurance) | |
| Allotment |
| A share of the capacity of a means of transport assigned to a certain party, e.g. a carrier or an agent, for the purpose of the booking of cargo for a specific voyage. | |
| Alongside |
| A phrase referring to the side of the ship. Goods to be delivered "alongside" are to be placed on the dock or lighter / barge within reach of the transport ship's tackle so that they can be loaded aboard the ship. Goods are delivered to the port of embarkation, but without loading fees. | |
| American Bureau of Shipping |
| American classification society which has established rules and regulations for the classification of seagoing vessels or equipment. | |
| Amidships |
| At or in the middle of a vessel. | |
| Appraisement |
| Determination of the dutiable value of imported merchandise by a Customs official who follows procedures outlined in their country's tariff, such as the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930. | |
| Arbitrary |
| A stated amount over a fixed rate to one point to make a rate to another point. | |
| Arbitration |
| The process of referring to an agreed person for judgement on issues of dispute, without requiring the use of courts. | |
| Arbitration Clause |
| Is a standard clause to be included in the contracts of exporters and importers, as suggested by the American Arbitration Association. It states that any controversy or claim will be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. | |
| Arrest |
| The procedure whereby, in common law jurisdictions, a ship (and sometimes cargo and/or freight) may be seized by an admiralty court at the institution of or during an action in rem (infra) to provide pre-judgment security for the plaintiff's maritime claim. | |
| Arrival Date |
| The date on which goods or a means of transport is due to arrive at the delivery site of the transport. | |
| Arrival Notice |
| An inbound shipping document furnished by the Carrier to the Consignee (or Notify Party) informing about the vessel’s arrival date; it also identifies shipment details. Also "Arrival Notification Form" (ANF). | |
| Assignment |
| The transfer of the rights, duties, responsibilities and/or benefits of an agreement, contract, or financial instrument to third party. | |
| Assignment of Proceeds |
| A stipulation within a letter of credit in which some or all of the proceeds are assigned from the original beneficiary to one or more additional beneficiaries. | |
| Astern |
| |
| Athwartships |
| Across the vessel, that is, from side to side. Said of cargo stowed in this way, as opposed to length-wise. | |
| Automated Brokerage Interface (ABI) |
| An electronic system allowing customhouse brokers and importers to interface via computer with the US Customs Service for transmitting entry and entry summary data on imported merchandise. | |
| Automated Commercial System (ACS) |
| The electronic system of the US Customs Service, encompassing a variety of industry sectors, that permits on-line access to information in selected areas. | |
| Automated Manifest System (AMS) |
| A part of custom's Automated Commercial System (ACS), controls imported merchandise from the time a carrier's cargo manifest is electronically transmitted to Customs until control is relinquished to another segment of the ACS. | |
| Average |
| 1. In marine insurance: a loss or damage to or in respect of goods or equipment. 2. The numerical result obtained by dividing the sum of two or more quantities by the number of quantities. | |
| Average Adjusters |
| In general average affairs average adjusters are entrusted with the task of apportioning the loss and expenditure over the parties interested in the maritime venture and to determine which expenses are to be regarded as average or general average. |
