I have tried to add almost all important shipping terms and abbreviations that are frequently used in charter party contracts.
All abbreviations on this page are fully expanded.
If available, shipping terms are also explained in a new page.
In order to reach corresponding explanation of the shipping terms, you have to click the heading part of each shipping term.
Chartering Terms Start With "A"
- AA - Always Afloat
- AAAA = Always Accessible Always Afloat
- AARA = Amsterdam-Antwerp-Rotterdam Area
- A/C = Account
- ABS = American Bureau of Shipping.
- ABT = About
- Accomplished Bill of Lading
- ADCOM = Address Commission
- AHR = Antwerp Hamburg Range
- A/E or ACC/EXC = Accept/Except
- AFSPS = Arrival First Sea Pilot Station (Norway)
- AFFREIGHTMENT - The hiring of a ship in whole or part
- AFRA = Average Freight Rate Assesments
- AFT = At or towards the stern or rear of a ship
- AGW = All Going Well
- AHL = Australian Hold Ladders
- AMWELSH93 = Americanized Welsh Coal Charter - Revised 1993
- ANTHAM = Antwerp-Hamburg Range
- APS = Arrival Pilot Station
- ARAG = Amsterdam-Rotterdam--Antwerp-Ghent Range
- A/S = Alongside
- ATDNSHINC = Any Time Day or Night Sundays and Holidays Included
- ATS = All Time Saved
- ATUTC = Actual Times Used to Count
- AUSWHEAT 1990 = Australian Wheat Charter 1990
- BAF = Bunker Adjustment Factor
- BALLAST =
- BALTIME 1939 = BIMCO Uniform Time-Charter (as revised 2001)
- BAREBOAT CHTR = Bareboat Charter
- BBB = Before Breaking Bulk
- BDI = Both Dates Inclusive
- BENDS = Both Ends (Load & Discharge Ports)
- BI = Both Inclusive
- BIMCO = The Baltic and International Maritime Council
- BL (1) = Bale
- BL (2) = (Bill of Lading) A document signed by the carrier which acts as a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo
- Blt = Built
- BM = Beam
- BEAM = The maximum breadth of a ship
- BOB = Bunker on Board
- BOFFER = Best Offer
- BROB = Bunkers Remaining on Board
- B/S = Bunker Surcharge
- BSS = Basis
- BSS 1/1 = Basis 1 Port to 1 Port
- BT = Berth Terms
- BTN = Brussels Tariff Nomenclature
- BUNDLING =
- BUNKERS =
- BWAD = Brackish Water Arrival Draft
- CA = Controlled Atmosphere
- CABAF = Currency and Bunker Adjustment Factor
- CBM = Cubic Meter
- CBFT (or CFT) = Cubic Feet
- CCR = Container Code Recognition
- CENSA = Council of European and Japanese National Shipowners
- CEU = Car Equivalent Unit
- CFR (or C&F) = Cost and Freight
- CHOPT = Charterers Option
- CHTRS = Charterers
- CIF = Cost, Insurance & Freight. Seller pays all these costs to a nominated port or place of discharge.
- COA = Contract of Affreightment
- COACP = Contract of Affreightment Charter Party
- COB = Close of Business
- COD = Cash On Delivery
- COGSA = Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
- CONS = Consumption
- COP = Custom of Port
- CP (or C/P) = Charter Party
- CPD = Charterers Pay Dues
- CPT = Carriage Paid To
- CQD = Customary Quick Dispatch
- CROB = Cargo Remaining on Board
- CRN = Crane
- CSI = Container Security Initiative
- CST = Centistoke
- C-TPAT = Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Program
- CTR = Container Fitted
- CY = Container Yard
- DAP = Delivered at Place
- DAPS = Days all Purposes
- DDU = Delivered Duty unpaid
- DDP = Delivered Duty Paid
- DEM = Demurrage
- DESP = Despatch
- DET = Detention
- DHDATSBE = Dispatch Half Demurrage on Actual Time Saved Both Ends
- DHDWTSBE = Dispatch Half Demurrage on Working Time Saved Both Ends
- DISCH = Discharge
- DISRATE = Rate of Discharge
- DK = Deck
- DLOSP = Dropping Last Outwards Sea Pilot (Norway)
- DO = Diesel Oil
- DOC = Document of Compliance
- DOLSP = Dropping Off Last Sea Pilot (Norway)
- DOP = Dropping Outward Pilot
- DOT = Department of Transport
- DNRSAOCLONL = Discountless and Non-Returnable Ship and/or Cargo Lost or Not Lost
- DRAFT =
- DRK = Derrick
- DUNNAGE =
- DWAT (or DWT) = Deadweight
- DWCC = Deadweight Cubic Capacity
- D1/2D = Demurrage Half Despatch
- EBAF = Emergency Bunker Adjustment Factor
- EBS = Emergency Bunker Surcharge
- EC = East Coast
- EIU = Even if Used
- ELVENT = Electric Ventilation
- ETA = Estimated Time of Arrival
- ETC = Estimated Time of Completion
- ETD = Estimated Time of Departure
- ETS = Estimated Time of Sailing
- EXW = Ex Works
- FAS = Free Alongside Ship
- FAF = Fuel Adjustment Factor
- FAK = Freight All Kinds
- FCA = Free Carrier
- F&CC = Full and Complete Cargo
- FCL = Full Container Load
- FD = Free of Despatch
- FD = Free Discharge
- FDD = Freight Demurrage Deadfreight
- FDIS = Free Discharge
- FEU = Forty foot container equivalency unit Standard 40' Container
- FFABA = The Forward Freight Agreement Brokers' Association
- FFW = Freight Forwarder
- FHEX = Fridays/Holidays Excluded
- FHINC = Fridays/Holidays Included
- FILO = Free In/Liner Out.
- FIO = Free In/Out.
- FIOS = Free In/Out Stowed.
- FIOT = Free In/Out and Trimmed.
- FIOST = Free In/Out and Trimmed.
- FIT = Free In Trimmed
- FIW = Free In Wagon
- FIXING = Chartering a Vessel
- FLT = Full Liner Terms
- FMC = Federal Maritime Commission
- FMS = Fathoms = 6 feet
- FO (IFO) = Fuel Oil/Intermediate FO
- FOB = Free on Board
- FOFFER = Firm Offer
- FOG = For Our Guidance
- FOQ = Free On Quay
- FOR = Free On Rail
- FORCE MAJEURE
- FOS = Fuel Oil Surcharge
- FOT = Free On Truck
- FOW (1) = First Open Water
- FOW (2) = Free On Wharf
- FREE OUT = Free of discharge costs to Owners
- FWAD = Fresh Water Arrival Draft
- FWDD = Fresh Water Departure Draft
- FYG = For Your Guidance
- FYI = For Your Information
- GA = General Average
- GASBEND = Good and Safe Port Both Ends
- GLS = Gearless
- GNCN = Gencon a standard BIMCO charter party form
- GN (or GR) = Grain (capacity)
- GNS = German North Sea
- GO = Gas Oil
- GRD = Geared
- GRT = Gross Registered Tonnage
- GSB = Good Safe Berth
- GSP = Good Safe Port
- GTEE = Guarantee
- 2H = Second Half
- HA = Hatch
- HDWTS = Half Dispatch Working Time Saved
- HMS = Heavy Metal Scrap
- HO = Hold
- HRS = Hours
- HVFL = Heavy Fuel
- HW = High Water
- IMDG Code = International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
- IMO = International Maritime Organization
- ICC = Institute Cargo Clauses
- IND = Indication
- INTERMODAL =
- ITF = International Transport Federation
- IU = If Used
- IUATUTC = If Used, Actual Time Used To Count
- IUHATUTC = If Used, Half Actual Time Used To Count
- IWL = Institute Warranty Limits
- Jetsam
- Jettison
Chartering Terms Start With "K"
- KN = Knots
- LANE METER =
- LASH (1) =
- LASH (2) =
- LAT = Latitude
- LOA = Length Overall of the vessel
- LOW = Last Open Water
- LS (or LUMPS) = Lumpsum
- LSD = Lashed Secured Dunnaged
- LT = Liner Terms
- LW = Low Water
- LYCN = Laycan (Layday Canceling Date)
- MB = Merchant Broker
- MDO (DO) = Marine Diesel Oil
- MIN/MAX = Minimum/Maximum (cargo quantity)
- MOLCHOPT = More or Less Charterers Option
- MOLOO = More or Less Owners Option
- MT = Metric Ton (i.e. 1,000 kilos / 2204.6lbs)
- M/V = Motor Vessel
- NAABSA = Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground
- NCB = National Cargo Bureau
- NESTING = Implies that cargo is presented stacked in the contour of similarly shaped cargo, it may be likened to a stack of plates.
- NON-REVERSIBLE = (Detention). If loading completed sooner than expected, then saved days will not be added to discharge time allowed.
- NOR = Notice of Readiness
- NRT = Net Registered Tonnage
- NYPE = New York Produce Exchange
- OO = Owners Option
- OSH = Open Shelter Deck
- OWS = Owners
- PASTUS = Past Us
- PC = Period of Charter
- PCGO = Part Cargo
- PCT = Percent
- PDPR = Per Day Pro Rata
- PERDIEM = Per Diem = By the Day
- PHPD = Per Hatch Per Day
- PRATIQUE = License or permission to use a port
- RCVR = Receivers
- REVERSIBLE (Detention) = If loading completed sooner than expected at load port, then days saved can be added to discharge operations.
- ROB = Remaining On Board
- RT = Revenue Ton (i.e. 1.0 metric Ton or 1.0 cubic meter, whichever is greater). The overall RT is calculated on a line by line basis of the Packing List using the largest amount. The overall freight liability is calculated on the total RT amount, multiplied by the freight rate.
- SATPM = Saturday P.M.
- SB = Safe Berth
- SD (or SID) = Single Decker
- SEAFREIGHT =
- SELFD = Self Discharging
- SF = Stowage factor.
- SHINC = Sundays/Holidays Included
- SHEX = Sundays/Holidays Excluded
- SKIDS =
- SL = Bale (capacity)
- SOC = Shipper Owned Container
- SOF = Statement Of Facts
- SP = Safe Port
- SRBL = Signing and Releasing Bill of Lading
- SSHEX (or SATSHEX) = Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Excluded
- SSHINC (or SATSHINC) = Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Included
- STABILITY =
- STARBOARD = Right side of a ship when facing the bow
- STEM = Subject To Enough Merchandise (Availability of Cargo)
- STERN = The aft part of a ship
- SUB = Subject (to)
- SUPERCARGO =
- SWAD = Salt Water Arrival Draft
- SWDD = Salt Water Departure Draft
- TC = Time Charter
- TEU = Twenty Foot Equivalency Unit Standard 20' Container
- TTL = Total
- TW = Tween Decker
- USC = Unless Sooner Commenced
- UU = Unless Used
- UUIUATUTC = Unless Used If Used Actual Time Used To Count
- VPD = Vessel Pays Dues
- WCCON = Whether Customs Cleared Or Not
- WIBON = Whether In Berth Or Not
- WIFPON = Whether In Free Pratique or not
- WIPON = Whether In Port Or Not
- WLTOHC (distance) Water Line-To-Hatch Coaming
- WOG = Without Guarantee
- WPD = Weather Permitting Day
- WWD = Weather Working Day
- WRIC = Wire Rods In Coils
- WWR = When, Where Ready
- WWWW = Wibon, Wccon, Wifpon, Wipon
- YAR = York Antwerp Rules
