P/A

Private Account

Packing List

A list showing the number and kinds of items being shipped, as well as other information needed for transportation purposes

Parcel Post Receipt

The postal authorities' signed acknowledgment of delivery to receiver of a shipment made by parcel post.

PBA

Port of Bristol Authority

Pd

Paid or Passed

PD

Port Dues

PE

Period Entry

Perils of the Sea

A marine insurance term used to designate heavy weather, stranding, lightning, collision, and sea water damage.

Phytosanitary Inspection Certificate

A certificate, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture to satisfy import regulations for foreign countries, indicating that a shipment has been inspected and is free from harmful pests and plant diseases.

PI&

Protection and Indemnity

PKD

Partially Knocked Down

Pkge

Package

P/L

Partial Loss

PLA

Port of London Authority

PM

Premium

PMS

Permanent Manual System

P/N

Promissory Note

PO

[1] Post Office.

[2] Purchase Order.

POA

Place Of Acceptance

POD

[1] Paid On Delivery.

[2] Proof of Delivery.

POL/POD

Contractual Port of Loading

Political Risk

In export financing, the risk of loss due to such causes as currency inconvertibility, government action preventing entry of goods, expropriation or confiscation, and war.

Ppd

Prepaid

Pro Forma Invoice

An invoice provided by a supplier prior to the shipment of merchandise, informing the buyer of the kinds and quantities of goods to be sent, their value, and important specifications (weight, size, etc.).

PSD

Pre-shipment Document

PSI

Pre-shipment Inspection

PT

Preferential Treatment

PTL

Partial Total Loss

Purchasing Agent

An agent who purchases goods in his or her own country on behalf of foreign importers such as government agencies and large private concerns.

PV

Petite Vitesse (slow goods train)

Qn

Quotation

Qty

Quantity

Quota

The quantity of goods of a specific kind that a country permits to be imported without restriction or imposition of additional duties.

Quotation

An offer to sell goods at a stated price and under specified conditions.

RAFT

Revolving Acceptance Facility by Tender

REDS

Registered Excise Shippers and Dealers

Reefer

Refrigerated Box or Vessel

Remitting Bank

The bank that sends the draft to the overseas bank for collection.

RENFE

Spanish Railways

Representative

See 'Foreign Sales Agent'.

RES

Retail Export Scheme

Revocable Letter of Credit

A letter of credit that can be cancelled or altered by the drawee (buyer) after it has been issued by the drawee's bank. Compare 'Irrevocable Letter of Credit'.

RHA

Road Haulage Association

RN

Removal Note

R/O

Routing Order

Ro/Ro

Roll On Roll Off

ROD

Rusting, Oxidation, Denting

RP

Return Premium

RTK

Revenue Tonne Kilometres

RTP

Restrictive Trade Practices

S/A

Safe Arrival

SAD

Single Administrative Document (also known as C88)

SANR

Subject To Approval No Risk

Sar

Italian Limited Company

SB

Short Bill, payable on demand or sight

SCP

Simplified Clearance Procedure

SCR

Specific Commodity Rate

SD

Sight Draft

SD

Sailed

SDBL

Sight Draft, Bill Of Lading attached

SDR

Special Drawing Rights

SEA

Single European Act

SED

Shipper’s Export Declaration

See-Bee

Sea Barge Carrier

SEK

Swedish Krona

SEM

Single European Market

SFR

Swiss Franc

Shipper's Export Declaration

A form that gives complete particulars of individual shipments and is used to control exports, and usually also acts as a source document for official export statistics. SEDs are prepared by the exporter and the exporter's agent and delivered to the exporting carrier, who presents the required number of copies to customs at the port of export.

Ship's Manifest

An instrument in writing, signed by the captain of a ship, that lists the individual shipments constituting the ship's cargo.

Shipt.

Shipment

shpg.

Shipping

SIECA

General Treaty of Economic Integration, Central American States

Sight Draft (S/D)

A draft that is payable upon presentation to the drawee. Compare 'Date Draft' and 'Time Draft'.

SIS

Shipping Information Service

SIT

Spontaneous Ignition Temperature

SITC

Standard International Trade Classification

SITPRO

Simpler International Trade Procedures Board

SLI

Shipper’s Letter of Instruction

SM

Shipping Master

SNCB

Belgian Railway

SNCF

French Railway

SO

Seller’s Option

S/o

Shipowner

SOB

Shipped On Board

SOEC

Statistical Office European Community

SOL

Shipowners’ Liability

SPA

Subject to Particular Average

Spot Exchange

The purchase or sale of foreign exchange for immediate delivery.

SPR

Sun Protection Required

SRCC

Strikes, Riots & Civil Commotion

SS

[1] Steamship.

[2] Short Shrift.

SSD

Supplementary Statistical Declaration

SSN

Standard Shipping Note

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)

A standard numerical code system used by the British government to classify products and services.

Standard International Trade Classification (SITC)

A standard numerical code system developed by the United Nations to classify commodities used in international trade.

Standard Shipping Note

A form used by the exporter to provide shipping instructions to the receiving authority.

STC

Said To Contain

Steamship Conference

A group of steamship operators that operate under mutually agreed-upon freight rates.

Straight Bill of Lading

A non-negotiable bill of lading in which the goods are consigned directly to a named consignee.

SWIFT

Society for World-wide Interbank Financial Telecommunications

SWL

Safe Working Load

Tare Weight

The weight of a container and packing materials without the weight of the goods it contains. Compare 'Gross Weight'.

TDC

Total Distribution Costs

TDW

Tons Deadweight

Tenor (of a Draft)

Designation of a payment as being due at sight, a given number of days after sight, or a given number of days after date.

TEU

20-foot Equivalent Unit

Through Bill of Lading

A single bill of lading covering both the domestic and international carriage of an export shipment. An air waybill, for instance, is essentially a through bill of lading used for air shipments. Ocean shipments, on the other hand, usually require two separate documents: an inland bill of lading for domestic carriage and an ocean bill of lading for international carriage. Through bills of lading are insufficient for ocean shipments.

Time Draft

A draft that matures either a certain number of days after acceptance or a certain number of days after the date of the draft. Compare Date Draft and Sight Draft.

TIR

Transport Internationale Routier

T/L

Total Loss

TLA

Tanker Loading Authority

TLO

Total Loss Only

TMO

Telegraphic Money Order

TMR

Trade Marks Registry

TOFC

Trailer on Flat Car

TP&ND

Theft, Pilferage and Non-delivery

Tramp Steamer

A ship not operating on regular routes or schedules.

Transaction Statement

A document that delineates the terms and conditions agreed upon between the importer and exporter.

Trust Receipt

Release of merchandise by a bank to a buyer in which the bank retains title to the merchandise. The buyer, who obtains the goods for manufacturing or sales purposes, is obliged to maintain the goods (or the proceeds from their sale) distinct from the remainder of his or her assets and to hold them ready for repossession by the bank.

TSPP

Tanker Safety and Pollution Prevention

TSR

Transit Shed Register

TT

Telegraphic Transfer

TTC

Tariff Trade Code

TUCC

Transport Users Consultative Committee

TURN

Trader Unique Reference Number

TVA

Tax on Value Added

UA

Unit of Account

U/A

Underwriting Account

U/C

Undercharge

UCE

Unforeseen Circumstances Excepted

UCP

Uniform Customs and Practice

U/D

Under Deck

UIC

International Union of Railways

UKL

Pound Sterling (alternative to GBP)

ULD

Unit Load Device

UN

United Nations

UNCITRAL

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

UNCLOS

United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea

UNCTAD

The United Nations Conference on Trade & Development

UNDG

United Nations Dangerous Goods number

UNECE

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

UNLK

United Nations Layout Key

UNSM

United Nations Standard Message

UPU

Universal Postal Union

URC

Uniform Rules for Collections

URCG

Uniform Rules Contract Guarantees

USD

United States Dollar

U/w

Underwriter

VAT

Value Added Tax

Voluming Out

Applies to shipped goods that have a high volume to weight ratio, meaning that they are charged higher shipping rates than those that would apply to smaller consignment of the same weight.

WA

With Average

Warehouse Receipt

A receipt issued by a warehouse listing goods received for storage.

WB

Waybill

Weight or Measurement W/M

Freight rates quoted 'W/M' mean that volume and weight rates are calculated and whichever is the greater will apply. The exporter needs to calculate both rates to be certain of the applicable charges. See Voluming Out.

WG

Weight Guaranteed

Wgt

Weight

Wharfage

A charge assessed by a pier or dock owner for handling incoming or outgoing cargo.

WIPO

World Intellectual Property Organisation

Without Reserve

A term indicating that a shipper's agent or representative is empowered to make definitive decisions and adjustments abroad without approval of the group or individual represented. Compare Advisory Capacity.

W/M

Weight and Measurement

W&M

War and Marine

WP

Without Prejudice

WPA

With Particular Average

WR

War Risk

WR

Warehouse Receipt

WRO

War Risks Only

Wt

Weight

W/T

Warranted

WTE

Wartime Extension Clause

WTO

World Trade Organisation

WW

Warehouse Warrant

YAR

York-Antwerp Rules

ZAR

South African Rand

ZIP

Zone Improvement Plan