Global Trade Acronyms
Anyone working in the Supply Chain space knows all too well how many acronyms can get thrown around in the day-to-day trade and supply chain world. It can be overwhelming and at times it can feel like folks are just making up new acronyms as they go. We are compiling a list of commonly used acronyms in the international trade community. This list is not all-inclusive but we hope it serves as a good reference.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
AAR — Association of American Railroads
ABI — Automated Broker Interface
ABS — American Bureau of Shipping
ACEP — Advisory Committee on Export Policy (USA)
ACDA — Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (USA)
AEO — Authorized Economic Operator
ALADI (LAIA) — Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (Latin American Integration Association)
AMF — Airport Mail Facility
ASEAN — Agreement of Southeast Asian Nations
AT — Anti-Terrorism
ATA — Air Transport Association
ATFI — Automated Tariff Filing Information System
ATP — Advanced Technology Products
AWB — Air Waybill
B
BAF — Bunker Adjustment Factor
BB — Breakbulk
BBLS — Barrels
BDLS — Bundles
BEET — Business Executive’s Enforcement Team (USA)
BIS — Bureau of Industry and Security (USA)
BOL — Bill of Lading
C
CAF — Currency Adjustment Factor
CAPSTAN — Computer Aided Planned Stowage and Networking System
CARAT — Cargo Agents Reservation Air Waybill Issuance and Tracking
CARBN — Caribbean Common Market Commercial Invoice
CB, CBW or CW — Chemical and Biological Weapons
CBD — Cash Before Delivery
CC — Crime Control
CCATS — Commodity Classification Automated Tracking System
CCC — Commodity Classification Automated Tracking
CCCN — Customs Cooperation Council Nomenclature
CCI — Canadian Commercial Invoice
CCL — Commerce Control List
CCOO — Canadian Certificate Of Origin
CCS — Cargo Community System
CED — Canadian Export Declaration
CFR — Code of Federal Regulations (USA)
CFS — Container Freight Station
CI — Commercial Invoice
CIB — Commercial Invoice Billing
CIF — Cost, Insurance and Freight
CIP — Carriage and Insurance Paid
CIS — Commercial Invoice Shipping
CIT — Court of International Trade
CJ — Commodity Jurisdiction
CL or C/L — Carload
COD — Cash on Delivery
COFC — Container on Flat Car
COGSA — Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
COINV — Covering Invoice
CL — Container Load
COO — Certificate of Origin
COO — Country of Origin
C & F — Cost and Freight
C & I — Cost and Insurance
CPOA — Customs Power of Attorney
CTP — Composite Theoretical Performance
CVD — Countervailing Duties
CWC — Chemical Weapons Convention
CY — Container Yard
D
DCS — Destination Control Statement
DDP — Deliver Duty Paid
DDU — Deliver Duty Unpaid
DEL — Demand Export License
DEQ — Delivered Ex Quay
DES — Delivered Ex Ship
DISA — Data Interchange Standards Association
DOA — Department of Agriculture (USA)
DOC — Department of Commerce (USA)
DOD — Department of Defense (USA)
DOE — Department of Energy (USA)
DOI — Department of Interior (USA)
DOL — Department of Labor (USA)
DOS — Department of State (USA)
DOT — Department of Transportation (USA)
DPL — Denied Parties List (USA)
DRP — Diversion Risk Proliferation
DTC — Office of Defense Trade Control (USA)
DTSA — Defense Technology Security Administration (USA)
DWT — Dead Weight Tonnage
E
EAA — Export Administration Act (USA)
EAB — Export Administration Bulletin (USA)
EAR — Export Administration Regulations (USA)
EARB — Export Administration Review Board (USA)
ECASS — Export Control Automated Support System
ECN — Export Control Number
ECCN — Export Control Classification Number (USA)
ECD — Export Counseling Division (USA)
EDI — Electronic Data Interchange
EE — Export Enforcement
EFTA — European Free Trade Agreement
EI — Encryption Items
EIN — Employer Identification Number (USA)
EMS — Export Management Systems
EPCI — Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative
ERIC — Electronic Request for Item Classification
ESS — Export Seminar Staff (USA)
ETA — Estimated Time of Arrival
ETC — Export Trading Company
ETD — Estimated Time of Departure
ETS — Estimated Time of Sailing
EU — European Union
EX DEC — Export Declaration
EXW — Ex Work
F
FA — Free Alongside
FAF — Fuel Adjustment Factor
FAK — Freight of All Kinds
FAS — Free Alongside Ship
FCA — Free Carrier
FCL — Full Container Load
FCPA — Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (USA)
FEU — Forty Equivalent Units
FIFO — First In, First Out
FIO — Free In Out
FIOS — Free In Out and Stow
FMC — Federal Maritime Commission (USA)
FMS — Foreign Military Sales
FMV — Foreign Market Value
FO — Free Out
FOB — Free On Board
FOB FACTORY — Free On Board Factory
FOT — Free On Truck
FPG — Foreign Parent Group
FSN — Foreign Service National
FTA — Free Trade Agreement
FTA — Free Trade Area
FTO — Foreign Trade Organization
FTSR — Foreign Trade Statistics Regulation
FTZA — Foreign Trade Zone Act
G
GA — General Average
GATT — General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GL — General License
GPO — Government Printing Office (USA)
GRI — General Rules of Interpretation
GSP — Generalized System of Preferences
GTDI — Guidelines for Trade Data Interchange
GTS — Global Trade Services
H
H/H — House-To-House
H/P — House-To-Pier
HHD — Hogshead
HPC — High Performance Computer
HTS — Harmonized Tariff Schedule
HWA — Hold Without Action
I
IATA — International Air Transport Association
ICN — IATA Code Number
IC — Import Certificate
ICC — Interstate Commerce Commission (USA)
IEEPA — International Emergency Economic Powers Act
IFTA — Israel Free Trade Agreement
ILA — International Longshoremen’s Association
IMCO — Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization
IMDG — International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
INCOTERMS — International Commercial Terms
IPI — Interior Points Intermodal
ISO — International Standards Organization
ITD — Intent to Den
J
JIT — Just in Time
JOC — Journal of Commerce (USA)
K
KD — Knocked Down
L
L & D — Loss and Damage Claim
LAIA Latin American Integration Association
LASH — Lighter Aboard Ship
LCL — Less Than Container Load
LDC — Less Developed Country
LE — License Exemption
LIFO — Last In, First Out
LO/LO — Lift On/Lift Off
LOC — Letter of Credit
LTL — Less Than Truck Load
M
MARC — Missile Annex Review Committee
MCI — Mexican Commercial Invoice
MFN — Most Favored Nation
MIDCL — MI Bank Direct Collection Letter
MKS — Marks and Numbers
MRO — Material Release Order
MRP — Manufacturing Resources Planning
MSC — Military Sea Lift
MT — Missile Technology
MTAG — Missile Technology Advisory Group (USA)
MTCR — Missile Technology Control Regime (USA)
MTEC — Missile Technology Export Control Group (USA)
N
NAFTA — North American Free Trade Agreement
NCBFAA — National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (USA)
NCOO — NAFTA Certificate of Origin
NES — Not Elsewhere Specified
NLR — No License Required (USA)
NMT — Office of Nuclear and Missile Technology Control (USA)
NOIBN — Not Otherwise Indicated By Name
NOS — Not Otherwise Specified
NPTC — Office of Non-Proliferation Controls and Treaty Compliance (USA)
NRC — Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USA)
NSD — National Security Directives
NSG — Nuclear Supplies Group
NVOCC — Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier
O
OAC — Office of Anti-Boycott Compliance
OBL — Ocean Bill of Lading
OC — Operating Committee
OEA — Office of Enforcement Analysis (USA)
OEE — Office of Export Enforcement (USA)
OEM — Original Equipment Manufacturer
OEXS — Office of Exporter Services (USA)
OFAC — Office of Foreign Assets Control (USA)
OS & D — Over, Short and Damaged
P
P/H — Pier to House
P/P — Pier to Pier
PECSEA — President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Exports (USA)
PECSENC — President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Encryption (USA)
PL — Packing List
PO — Purchase Order
PRC — People’s Republic of China
R
RO/RO — Roll On, Roll Off
ROK — Republic of Korea
RS — Regional Stability
RVC — Regional Value Content
RWA — Return Without Action
S
SADC — South African Development Community
SCL — Special Comprehensive License
SDN — Specially Designated National
SDT — Specially Designated Terrorist
SED — Shipper’s Export Declaration
SFSC — Shared Foreign Sales Corporation
SI — Significant Items
SIC — Standard Industrial Classification
SIES — Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security (USA)
SITA — Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautique
SITC — Standard International Trade Classification
SL & C — Shipper’s Load and Count
SLCD — Special Licensing and Compliance Division
SLI — Shippers Letter of Instruction
SNEC — Sub-Group on Nuclear Export Coordination
SQL — Structured Query Language
STELA — System for Tracking Export License Applications
STFPC — Office of Strategic Trade and Foreign Policy Controls (USA)
T
TAC — Technical Advisory Committee
TEU — Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit
TCP — Transmission Control Protocol
TCP/IP — Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol
TDCC — Transportation Data Coordinating Committee (USA)
TEU — Twenty Equivalent Units
TDO — Temporary Denial Order
TIB — Temporary Importation Under Bond
T.I.R. CARNET — Transit International Router Carnet
TIR — Trailer Interchange Report
TOFC — Trailer On Flat Car
TPC — Trade Policy Committee
TS — Tariff Shift
TVA — Time Volume Agreement
U
UCC — Uniform Commercial Code (USA)
UNCTAD — United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UOM — Unit of Measure
UF&FCS — United States and Foreign Commercial Service (USA)
USCOO — United States Certificate of Origin
USITC — United States International Trade Commission
V
VAN — Value Added Network
VAT — Value Added Tax
VRA — Voluntary Restraint Agreements
W
W/M — Weight or Measurement
WA — Wassenaar Arrangement (USA)
WRO — Western Regional Office
WTO — World Trade Organization
