Terms

FIOS
Free in/out (loading and unloading at the receiver's expense);

FIFO
Free in/Free out (same as FIOS);

FILO
Free in/Liner out (loading at the receiver's expense,
unloading by the liner);

LIFO
Liner in/Free out (loading by the liner,
unloading at the receiver's expense);

LILO
Liner in/out (loading and unloading by the liner).

Depending on the shipping line and the specifics of a particular port,
the following surcharges may be added to the rate:

CAF
(Currency Adjustment Factor) – a compensation surcharge applied by shipping lines for currency exchange rates;

BAF
(Bunker Adjustment Factor) – a surcharge often added to the cost of the main freight depending on fuel prices;

Wharfage
A dock or pier usage fee;

CUC
(Chassis Using Charge) – a fee for using chassis in port infrastructure;

Documentation Fee
A fee for the issuance of maritime documentation.

Bill of Lading (B/L) – a document issued by the carrier of goods to the cargo owner. The most important characteristic of a bill of lading is that the rights specified in this document can only be exercised upon the physical presentation of the original or originals. Copies of the document, electronic or any other form, have no legal validity.

A bill of lading is a valuable document that represents ownership rights to a specific, specified item and serves as a transport document containing the terms of a maritime transport contract. It is a document that gives the holder the right to dispose of the cargo.

Invoice – a document used in international commercial transactions, provided by the seller to a foreign buyer. The invoice includes information about the goods, their quantity, price, delivery terms, product specifications (color, weight, etc.), as well as details about the supplier and buyer. The issuance of an invoice indicates that the buyer is obligated to pay for the goods in accordance with the specified terms (assuming the goods are not prepaid). This type of document is used exclusively in international goods shipments.

The invoice is prepared and sent to the foreign buyer simultaneously with the shipment of the goods. If the contract specifies an advance payment, the exporter must issue a proforma invoice. This document contains almost the same data as a commercial invoice, with the difference being that some of the data in the proforma invoice are preliminary.

Packing List – closely resembles an invoice, and often much of the information in these documents overlaps. However, in a packing list, in addition to information about the sender, recipient of the cargo, and the cargo's description, there are also weight characteristics of the cargo and packaging, their volumes, and information about how the cargo is packed.

The main difference from an invoice is the absence of price information for each item and the cargo as a whole. However, there are no restrictions on including this data if desired, and there is no set format for a packing list; each company can create its own.

A packing list is very convenient for carriers and anyone involved in loading, unloading, sorting, and accounting for cargo. It is used to count the number of items and check the integrity of the cargo.

Certificate of Origin – a document that unequivocally confirms the country of origin of the goods. A certificate is typically required by the customs authorities of the importing country to implement tariff and non-tariff measures for regulating imported goods into the customs territory of that country, as well as for obtaining preferential tariffs, duty-free imports, and exemptions from additional taxation.