-
C
- Consulate
-
C&F
- Cost and Freight
-
C&F Named Port
- Cost and freight. All costs of goods and transportation to the named port
are included in the price quoted. Buyer pays insurance while aboard ship up
to overseas inland destination.
-
C.
- Collected, Currency, Coupon, Coast
-
C. & D.
- Collected and delivered
-
c. & f.
- Cost and freight
-
c. & i.
- Cost and insurance
-
C. &/or J.
- China and/or Japan
-
C.&I.
- Cost and insurance
-
C.A.C.T.L.V.O.
- Compromised &/or arranged &/or constructive total loss of vessel only
-
C.A.D.
- Cash against documents
-
C.B. & H.
- Continent between Bordeaux and Hamburg
-
C.B.I.
- Confederation of British Industry
-
C.C.
- Current cost, Civil commotions, Cancellation clause, Continuation clause
-
C.C.I.S.G.
- Convention Contracts of International Sale of Goods
-
C.C.S.A.
- Collective company signing agreement
-
C.D.
- Country damage
-
C.D.V.
- Current domestic value
-
c.f.
- Cubic feet. Carried forward
-
c.f.i.
- Cost, freight and insurance
-
C.f.o.
- Channel for orders. Coast for orders. Calling for orders
-
C.G.A.
- Cargo's proportion of general average
-
C.G.S.A.
- Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
-
C.I.
- Consular Invoice
-
C.I.E.
- Captain's imperfect entry (Customs). - c.i.f. - Cost, insurance and
freight
-
c.i.f. & e.
- Cost, insurance, freight and exchange
-
c.i.f.c.i.
- Cost, insurance, freight, commission and interest
-
c.i.f.L.t.
- Cost, insurance, and freight London terms
-
C.I.I.
- Chartered Insurance Institute
-
C.K.D.
- Completely knocked down
-
C.O.B.
- Cargo on board
-
C.O.D.
- Cash on delivery
-
C.P.A.
- Claims payable abroad
-
c.p.d.
- Charterers' pay dues
-
C.P.P.
- Controllable Pitch Propellers
-
C.R.
- Current rate, Company's risk, Carrier's risk
-
C.R.O.
- Cancelling returns only
-
C.S.D.
- Closed shelter deck
-
C.S.T.
- Central standard time
-
c.t.l.
- Constructive total loss
-
c.t.l.o.
- Constructive total loss only
-
c.v.
- Chief value
-
C.W.
- Commercial weight
-
C/-
- Case
-
C/D
- Commercial dock. Consular declaration
-
c/i
- Certificate of insurance
-
C/L
- Craft loss
-
C/N
- Consignment note. Cover note. Credit note
-
C/O
- Certificate of origin. Cash order. Case oil
-
C/P
- Charter Party, Custom of Port (grain trade)
-
c/s
- Cases
-
call sign
- Sequence of letters and numbers, unique to each ship, that identify the
ship.
-
Calvo Doctrine
- The Calvo Doctrine (or principle) holds that jurisdiction in international
investment disputes lies with the country in which the investment is
located; thus, the investor has no recourse but to use the local courts. The
principle, named after an Argentinean jurist, has been applied throughout
Latin America and other areas of the world.
-
Canc.
- Cancelled
-
cancl.
- Cancelling
-
cap
- Capacity
-
Capital Account
- See: Balance of Payments.
-
CAR
- Commercial Activity Report
-
cargo
- Goods carried in or on a ship
-
Cargo Selectivity
System - The
Cargo Selectivity System, a part of Customs' Automated Commercial System,
specifies the type of examination (intensive or general) to be conducted for
imported merchandise. The type of examination is based on database
selectivity criteria such as assessments of risk by filer, consignee, tariff
number, country of origin, and manufacturer/shipper. A first time consignee
is always selected for an intensive examination. An alert is also generated
in cargo selectivity the first time a consignee files an entry in a port
with a particular tariff number, country of origin, or manufacturer/shipper.
-
Carnets
- Customs documents permitting the holder to carry or send sample
merchandise temporarily into certain foreign countries without paying duties
or posting bonds. Foreign customs regulations vary widely; in some
countries, duties and extensive customs procedures on sample products may be
avoided by obtaining an ATA Carnet. The ATA Carnet is a standardized
international customs document used to obtain duty-free temporary admission
of certain goods into the countries that are signatories to the ATA
Convention. Under the ATA Convention, commercial and professional travelers
may take commercial samples; tools of the trade; advertising material; and
cinematographic, audiovisual, medical, scientific, or other professional
equipment into member countries temporarily without paying customs duties
and taxes or posting a bodn at the border of each country visited. The
carnets are generally valid for 12 months. Telephone: 1-800-CARNETS.
-
Carriage Paid To
- Carriage paid to (CPT) and carriage and insurance paid to (CIP) a named
place of destination. Used in place of CFR and CIF, respectively for
shipment by modes other than water.
-
Cartel
- An organization of independent producers formed to regulate the
production, pricing, or marketing practices of its members in order to limit
competition and maximize their market power.
-
Cash Against Documents
- A term denoting that payment is made when the bill of lading is presented.
-
Cash Against Documents
(C.A.D.) - A
method of payment for goods in which documents transferring title are given
to the buyer upon payment of cash to an intermediary acting for the seller,
usually a commission house.
-
Cash In Advance (C.I.A.)
- A method of payment for goods in which the buyer pays the seller in
advance of the shipment of the goods. Usually employed when the goods are
built to order, such as specialized machinery.
-
Cash With Order
- CWO is a means of payment in which the buyer pays cash when ordering; the
order is binding on both seller and buyer.
-
Cash With Order
(C.W.O.) - A
method of payment for goods in which cash is paid at the time of order and
the transaction becomes binding on both buyer and seller.
-
Catalog Exhibitions
- These promotions are low-cost exhibits of U.S. firms' catalogs and videos
which offer small, less-experienced companies an opportunity to test
overseas markets for their products without travel. The International Trade
Administration promotes exhibitions, provides staff fluent in the local
language to answer questions, and forwards all trade leads to participating
firms.
-
CBM
- Conventional buoy mooring
-
CBW
- Chemical and Biological Weapons
-
CCC
- Customs Co-operation Council
-
CDI
- Capital Development Initiative
-
CEPT
- Conference Europeenne des Administrations des Postes et, des
Telecommunications
-
CERN
- Centre Europeen de Recherche Nucleaire
-
Certificate of Delivery
- See: Delivery Verification Certificate.
-
Certificate of
Inspection -
A document certifying that merchandise (such as perishable goods) was in
good condition immediately prior to shipment. Pre-shipment inspection is a
requirement for importation of goods into many developing countries.
-
Certificate of
Manufacture
- A document (often notarized) in which a producer of goods certifies that
the manufacturing has been completed and the goods are now at the disposal
of the buyer.
-
Certificate Of Origin
- A certified document as to the origin of goods, used in foreign commerce.
-
Certificate of Origin
- Certain nations require a signed statement as to the origin of the export
item. Such certificates are usually obtained through a semiofficial
organization such as a local chamber of commerce. A certificate may be
required even though the commercial invoice contains the information.
-
Certified Trade Fair
Program -
The Department of Commerce Certified Trade Fair Program is designed to
encourage private organizations to recruit new-to-market and new-to-export
U.S. firms to exhibit in trade fairs overseas. To receive certification, the
organization must demonstrate: (1) the fair is a leading international trade
event for an industry and (2) the fair organizer is capable of recruiting
U.S. exhibitors and assisting them with freight forwarding, customs
clearance, exhibit design and setup, public relations, and overall show
promotion. The show organizer must agree to assist new-to-export exhibitors
as well as small businesses interested in exporting. In addition to the
services the organizer provides, the Department of Commerce will: - assign a
Washington coordinator; - operate a business information office, which
provides meeting space, translators, hospitality, and assistance from U.S.
exhibitors and foreign customers; - help contact buyers, agents,
distributors, and other business leads and provide marketing assistance; -
provide a press release on certification.
-
CET
- Common External Tariff
-
CFR
- Code of Federal Regulations, Cost and Freight
-
CFS
- Container freight station
-
Charge d'affaires
- See: Title and Rank.
-
Charter Party
- Renting of an entire vessel or part of its freight space for a particular
trip or stipulated period of time.
-
CHB
- Customhouse Broker
-
CIF
- Cost, Insurance and Freight
-
cif
- Cost, insurance, freight
-
CILSS
- Comite Permanent Interetats de Lutte contre la Secheresse, dans le Sahel
-
CIMS
- Commercial Information Management System
-
CIPs
- Commodity Import Programs
-
CIR
- Center for International Research
-
CIS
- Commonwealth of Independent States
-
CISG
- Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of, Goods
-
CIT
- Court of International Trade
-
CITA
- Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
-
CITES
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in, Wild Fauna and
Flora
-
CIV
- Customs Import Value
-
CJ
- Commodity Jurisdiction
-
Ck.
- Cask
-
cld.
- Cleared
-
Clean Bill of Lading
- A receipt for goods issued by a carrier with an indication that the goods
were received in "apparent good order and condition," without damages or
other irregularities.
-
Clean Draft
- A draft to which no documents have been attached.
-
Clean Float
- Clean float refers to a system in which exchange rates are determined by
market forces rather than government intervention or restrictions. See:
Dirty Float.
-
Club du Sahel
- The Club du Sahel is an informal coalition which seeks to reverse the
effects of drought and the desertification in the eight Sahelian zone
countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and
the Cape Verde Islands. The Club coordinates plans and financing of aid and
sustained economic development in the region. The Club (sometimes called
"Club des Amis du Sahel"), formed in December 1975, comprises both donor
countries (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland,
the United Kingdom, and the United States) and Sahelian zone countries.
Headquarters are in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
-
COE
- Council of Europe
-
Collection Papers
- All documents (invoices, bills of lading, etc.) submitted to a buyer for
the purpose of receiving payment for a shipment.
-
Collections System
- The Collections System, a part of Customs' Automated Commercial System,
controls and accounts for the billions of dollars in payments collected by
Customs each year and the millions in refunds processed each year. Daily
statements are prepared for the automated brokers who select this service.
The Collections System permits electronic payments of the related duties and
taxes through the Automated Clearinghouse capability. Automated collections
also meet the needs of the importing community through acceptance of
electronic funds transfers for deferred tax bills and receipt of electronic
payments from lockbox operations for Customs bills and fees.
-
COM
- Chief of Mission, Cost of Manufacture
-
Com.
- Commission
-
Commerce Control List
- The CCL includes all items -- commodities, software, and technical data --
subject to BXA export controls and incorporates not only the national
security controlled items agreed to by CoCom (the "core" list), but also
items controlled for foreign policy (i.e., biological warfare, nuclear
proliferation, missile technology, regional stability, and crime control)
and short supply. The list is divided into 10 general categories: (1)
materials, (2) materials processing, (3) electronics, (4) computers, (5)
telecommunications and cryptography, (6) sensors, (7) avionics and
navigation, (8) marine technology, (9) propulsion systems and transportation
equipment, and (10) miscellaneous.
-
Commercial Code
- A published code designed to reduce the total number of words required in
a cablegram.
-
Commercial
Counterfeiting
- This practice involves the manufacture or sale of goods which defraud the
purchaser by falsely implying that the products are produced by a reputable
manufacturer.
-
Commercial Invoice
- The commercial invoice is a bill for the goods from the seller to the
buyer. These invoices are often used by governments to determine the true
value of goods for the assessment of customs duties and are also used to
prepare consular documentation. Governments using the commercial invoice to
control imports often specify its form, content, number of copies, language
to be used, and other characteristics.
-
Commercial Risks
- With respect to Eximbank guarantees, commercial risks cover nonpayment for
reasons other than specified political risks. Examples are insolvency or
protracted default. See: Political Risks.
-
Commercial Treaty
- An agreement between two or more countries setting forth the conditions
under which business between the countries may be transacted. May outline
tariff privileges, terms on which property may be owned, the manner in which
claims may be settled, etc.
-
Conds.
- Conditions
-
Confirmed Letter of
Credit - A
letter of credit, issued by a foreign bank, whose validity has been
confirmed by an American bank. An exporter whose payment terms are a
confirmed letter of credit is assured of payment even if the foreign buyer
or the foreign bank defaults.
-
Confirming
- Confirming is a financial service in which an independent company confirms
an export order in the seller's country and makes payment for the goods in
the currency of that country. Among the items eligible for confirmation are
the goods; inland, air, and ocean transportation costs; forwarding fees;
custom brokerage fees; and duties. Confirming permits the entire export
transaction from plant to end user to be fully coordinated and paid for over
time. It is mainly a European practice.
-
conlinebill
- Liner bill of lading published by the Baltic and International Maritime
Conference (B.I.M.C.O.).
-
Consgt.
- Consignment
-
consignee
- Person to whom goods are to be delivered at a particular destination by a
carrier.
-
Consignee
- The person or firm named in a freight contract to whom goods have been
consigned or turned over. For export control purposes, the documentation
differentiates between an "intermediate" consignee and an "ultimate"
consignee.
-
Consignee Marks
- A symbol placed on packages for export for identification purposes;
generally consisting of a triangle, square, circle, diamond, cross, with
letters and/or numbers as well as port of discharge.
-
Consignment
- Delivery of merchandise from an exporter (the consignor) to an agent (the
consignee) under agreement that the agent sell the merchandise for the
account of the exporter. The consignor retains title to the goods until
sold. The consignee sells the goods for commission and remits the net
proceeds to the consignor.
-
consignor
- Person who gives goods to a carrier for delivery to a consignee.
-
Consul
- A government official residing in a foreign country who is charged with
the representation of the interests of his country and its nationals.
-
Consular Declaration
- A formal statement describing goods to be shipped, made to the consul of
the country of destination. Approval must be obtained prior to shipment.
-
Consular Declaration
- A formal statement, made to the consul of a foreign country, describing
goods to be shipped.
-
Consular Information
Sheet - See:
Travel Advisory Program.
-
Consular Invoice
- A document required by some foreign countries showing exact information as
to consignor, consignee, value and description of shipment.
-
Consular Invoice
- A document, required by some foreign countries, describing a shipment of
goods and showing information such as the consignor, consignee, and value of
the shipment. Certified by a consular official of the foreign country, it is
used by the country's customs officials to verify the value, quantity, and
nature of the shipment.
-
Consulate
- See: Title and Rank.
-
Consulate
- The jurisdiction, terms of office, or official premises of a consul.
-
Consumption Entry
- An official form used for declaration of value, description and the total
duty due on such transaction.
-
Cont.
- Continent of Europe
-
Cont.(A.H.)
- Continent, Antwerp-Hamburg range
-
Cont.(B.H.)
- Continent, Bordeaux-Hamburg range
-
Cont.(H.H.)
- Continent, Havre-Hamburg range
-
Container
- A uniform, sealed, reusable metal "box" in which merchandise is shipped by
vessel, truck, or rail. Standard lengths include 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet (40
foot lengths are generally able to hold about 40,000 pounds). Containers of
45 and 48 feet are also used, as well as containers for shipment by air.
-
container
- Box, in several standard sizes, designed to enable goods to be sent
several places without the contents being touched.
-
Contracting Parties
- Contracting parties are the signatory countries to the GATT. These
countries have accepted the specified obligations and privileges of the GATT
agreement.
-
Conv.
- Conveyance
-
Convention
- See: International Agreements.
-
Cooperator Program
- See: Foreign Market Development Program.
-
COP
- Cost of Production
-
Cost and Freight
- Cost and Freight (CFR) to a named overseas port of import. Under this
term, the seller quotes a price for the goods that includes the cost of
transportation to the named point of debarkation. The cost of insurance is
left to the buyer's account. (Typically used for ocean shipments only. CPT,
or carriage paid to, is a term used for shipment by modes other than water.)
Also, a method of import valuation that includes insurance and freight
charges with the merchandise values.
-
Cost of Production
- A term used to refer to the sum of the cost of materials, fabrication
and/or other processing employed in producing the merchandise sold in a home
market or to a third country together with appropriate allocations of
general administrative and selling expenses. COP is based on the producer's
actual experience and does not include any mandatory minimum general expense
or profit as in "constructed value." See: Tariff Act of 1930.
-
Cost, Insurance and
Freight -
Cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) to a named overseas port of import. Under
this term, the seller quotes a price for the goods (including insurance),
all transportation, and miscellaneous charges to the point of debarkation
for the vessel. (Typically used for ocean shipments only. CIP, or carriage
and insurance paid to, is a term used for shipment by modes other than
water.)
-
Costs of Manufacture
- In the context of dumping investigations, the costs of manufacture, COM,
is equal to the sum of the materials, labor and both direct and indirect
factory overhead expenses required to produce the merchandise under
investigation.
-
Counter Trade
- A general trade term whereby a seller is required to accept goods or
services from the buyer as either full or partial payment. This is a well
known phenomenon in East-West trade, but is increasingly being practiced
worldwide.
-
Counterfeit Code
- A draft agreement addressing commercial counterfeit (e.g. trademarks)
problems in international trade. Initiated during the Tokyo Round, this code
was never concluded. The issue of counterfeiting, as well as other
intellectual property issues, is now under discussion in the Uruguay Round
negotiating group on Intellectual Property Rights.
-
Counterpurchase
- See: Countertrade.
-
Countertrade
- Countertrade is an umbrella term for several sorts of trade in which the
seller is required to accept goods, serivces, or other instruments or trade,
in partial or whole payment for its products. Forms include barter, buy-back
or compensation, offset requirements, swap, switch, or triangular trade,
evidence or bilateral clearing accounts. Some include offsets as a form of
countertrade; others make a distinction based on the view that countertrade
is a reciprocal exchange of goods and services used to alleviate foreign
exchange shortages of importers and that offsets are used as a means for
advancing industrial development objectives and may include equity
investments. In counterpurchase (one of the most common forms of
countertrade), exporters agree to purchase a quantity of goods from a
country in exchange for that country's purchase of the exporter's product.
The goods being sold by each party are typically unrelated but may be
equivalent in value. In a compensation or buy-back deal, exporters of heavy
equipment, technology, or even entire facilities agree to purchase a certain
percentage of the output of the facility. Barter is a simple swap of one
good for another. Switch trading is a complicated form of barter, involving
a chain of buyers and sellers in different markets. See: Offsets.
-
Countervailing Duties (CVD)
- These are duties levied on an imported good to offset subsidies to
producers or exporters of that good in the exporting country. GATT Article
VI permits the use of such duties if material injury to the importing
country's producers occurs.
-
Country of Export
Destination
- Country of destination for exports is the country where the goods are to
be consumed, further processed, or manufactured, as known to the shipper at
the time of exportation. If the shipper does not know the country of
ultimate destination, the shipment is credited to the last country to which
the shipper knows that the merchandise will be shipped in the same form as
when exported.
-
Country of Origin
- The U.S. Customs Service defines country of origin as the country where an
article was wholly grown, manufactured or produced, or, if not wholly grown,
cultivated or produced in one country, the last country in which the article
underwent a substantial transformation. Duty rates vary according to the
country of origin.
-
Court of International
Trade - The
CIT has jurisdiction over any civil action against the United States arising
from Federal laws governing import transactions. The court hears
antidumping, product classification, and countervailing duty matters as well
as appeals of unfair trade practice cases from the International Trade
Commission. The court was originally established in 1890; principal offices
are located in New York City, but the court is empowered to hear and
determine cases arising at any port or place within the jurisdiction of the
United States. The judges are appointed for life by the President, subject
to Senate confirmation.
-
Cpa.
- Closest point of approach
-
CPCM
- Comite Permanent Consultatif du Maghreb
-
CPT
- Carriage Paid To
-
Cr.
- Credit, Creditor
-
Credit Risk Insurance
- A form of insurance which protects the seller against loss due to default
on the part of the buyer.
-
Credit Risk Insurance
- Insurance designed to cover risks of nonpayment for delivered goods.
-
CSS
- Customized Sales Survey
-
CT
- Countertrade
-
Cts.
- Crates
-
cum.
- With, Cumulative
-
Currency Swaps
- See: Swaps.
-
Current Account
- See: Balance of Payments.
-
Custom House
- The government office where duties and/or tolls are placed on imports or
exports and are paid on vehicles or vessels entered or cleared.
-
custom of the port
- Established practice at a port which becomes part of a contract of
carriage unless otherwise identified in the contract.
-
Customhouse Brokers
- A person or firm, licensed by the Treasury Department, engaged in entering
and clearing goods through customs. The duties of a broker include preparing
the entry blank and filing it; advising the importer on duties to be paid;
advancing duties and other costs; and, arranging for delivery to his client,
his trucking firm, or other carrier.
-
Customs Free Zone
- See: Free Trade Zone.
-
Customs Harmonization
- This is an international effort to increase the uniformity of customs
practices such as evaluation, nomenclature and enforcement among countries.
The Customs Cooperation Council has been working on an internationally
accepted harmonized commodity system since 1970.
-
Customs Valuation Code
- Formally known as the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,'' this MTN agreement provides
detailed rules for the determination of value for customs purposes. These
rules are designed to provide a fair, uniform and neutral system of
valuation based on transaction value and preclude the use of arbitrary or
fictitious values.
-
CV
- Constructed Value
-
CVD
- Countervailing Duty
-
CW
- Cash With Order
-
CWC
- Chemical Weapons Convention
-
CXT
- Common External Tariff
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