The words on an import order, defined in one line each.

Alphabetical. Every term links to a longer guide where one exists.

Advance (T/T advance)

A percentage of the order paid before production; the balance follows a later trigger.

Arrival notice

The carrier's notification that the vessel has arrived or will arrive; often where free time starts counting.

Bill of lading (B/L)

The carrier's receipt and, for an original B/L, the document of title to the goods.

Booking party

Whoever books the carrier — the buyer under EXW/FCA/FOB, the seller under CFR/CIF/DAP/DDP.

BRCGS

A GFSI-benchmarked food-safety standard from the British Retail Consortium; a facility certification.

Certificate of analysis (COA)

A lab report for one lot showing measured results against the specification.

Certificate of origin (CO)

A document stating where goods were produced; preferential COs unlock FTA duty rates.

CFR / CIF

Incoterms where the seller pays freight (and, under CIF, insurance) to the destination port; risk passes at loading.

Claim

A buyer's request for compensation after a quality or quantity issue, typically settled by a credit note.

Clean B/L

A bill of lading without remarks about damaged or defective packaging.

Consignee

The party entitled to receive the goods, named on the B/L.

Credit note

A supplier's document reducing the amount owed, e.g. for a shortfall or a rejected part-lot.

Customs broker

The party that prepares and lodges import or export declarations.

D/A, D/P

Documents against acceptance / documents against payment: bank-collection methods where documents are released against a bill of exchange or against payment.

Demurrage

Charge for a container left inside the port beyond its free days.

Detention

Charge for a container kept outside the port (not returned empty) beyond its free days.

Discharge

Unloading a container from the vessel; usually the start of free time.

Discrepancy

A mismatch between documents presented under an L/C and the credit's terms; grounds for the bank to refuse payment.

ETD / ETA

Estimated time of departure / arrival.

Export clearance

Export customs declaration and any inspection at origin; the seller's job under all incoterms except EXW.

FCA / FOB / EXW

Incoterms where the buyer books and pays main freight; risk passes at handover to the carrier, on board, or at the seller's door respectively.

Free time

Days a container may stay in the port (demurrage) or outside it (detention) without charge.

Freight forwarder

A company that arranges transport and often customs on the shipper's behalf.

FSSC 22000

ISO 22000 plus sector prerequisites and additional requirements; GFSI-benchmarked facility certification.

GFSI

Global Food Safety Initiative; benchmarks schemes such as FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF and IFS.

Goods receipt

The ERP posting that goods arrived at the warehouse, with quantity and any variance.

HACCP

Hazard analysis and critical control points; the base food-safety system and often a certification.

Halal / Kosher

Religious product certifications listing the products and sites they cover.

Health certificate

An origin-authority document attesting that a food product is fit for export; required for import in many markets.

HS code

Harmonised System tariff code used for classification and duty.

Import clearance

Customs declaration, inspection and duty payment at destination.

Incoterms

ICC rules defining who books, pays, clears and bears risk at each point of a shipment.

Inspection (stage)

The buyer's QA check of a received lot, with a pass or an issue found.

ISO 22000

International food-safety management system standard incorporating HACCP.

Landed cost

Total cost to get a lot into the warehouse — goods plus every charge — often expressed per unit.

Latest shipment date

The date by which goods must be on board under a letter of credit.

Letter of credit (L/C)

A bank's undertaking to pay the seller against documents that comply with the credit.

Logistics partner

Forwarders, customs brokers and carriers — distinct from suppliers of goods.

Magic link

A single link that opens one order's status for a customer or buyer without an account.

Net 30 / 60 / 90

Payment due 30, 60 or 90 days after a trigger such as the invoice or B/L date.

Notify party

The party the carrier informs on arrival, named on the B/L.

Packing list

Physical contents per container — cartons, weights, dimensions — for inspection and receipt.

Phytosanitary certificate

Plant-health certificate from the origin authority for plant products.

Purchase order (PO)

The buyer's binding commitment to buy, issued from the ERP with terms and required documents.

Purchase requisition

An internal request to buy; not sent to a supplier; becomes an order when placed.

Quotation

The supplier's offer: price, currency, unit, incoterm, terms, validity.

Reefer

A refrigerated container.

Sea waybill

A non-negotiable transport document; the named consignee collects without presenting an original.

Shipping documents (stage)

The original document set — B/L, invoice, packing list, CO, certificates — complete and sent.

T/T (telegraphic transfer)

Direct bank transfer; the most common payment method between established partners.

Telex release

The carrier's instruction to release a container at destination without the original B/L, after surrender at origin.

VGM

Verified gross mass of a packed container, required before loading.

White label

Running a product under your own brand and domain; Pacifica offers it for larger buyers hosting their suppliers.

Whose move

On every Pacifica order, the party whose action is next — buyer, supplier, carrier or partner.

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