The foreign trade industry has a vast amount of specialized terminology and English abbreviations. For newcomers, various abbreviations can often be dizzying—S/O, B/L, P/I, MBL, HBL, THC, DTHC… What exactly are all these?
This article brings together the most commonly used terms and abbreviations in foreign trade, organized by category for easy lookup at any time.
1. Trade Terms (Incoterms 2020)
| Abbreviation | Full Name in English | Chinese Meaning | Applicable Transport Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Ex Works | 工厂交货 | Any mode |
| FCA | Free Carrier | 货交承运人 | Any mode |
| FAS | Free Alongside Ship | 船边交货 | Sea & inland waterway only |
| FOB | Free On Board | 船上交货 | Sea & inland waterway only |
| CFR | Cost and Freight | 成本加运费 | Sea & inland waterway only |
| CIF | Cost, Insurance and Freight | 成本保险费加运费 | Sea & inland waterway only |
| CPT | Carriage Paid To | 运费付至 | Any mode |
| CIP | Carriage and Insurance Paid To | 运保费付至 | Any mode |
| DAP | Delivered at Place | 目的地交货 | Any mode |
| DPU | Delivered at Place Unloaded | 卸货地交货 | Any mode |
| DDP | Delivered Duty Paid | 完税后交货 | Any mode |
2. Settlement Methods
| Abbreviation | Full Name in English | Chinese Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| T/T | Telegraphic Transfer | 电汇 |
| L/C | Letter of Credit | 信用证 |
| D/P | Documents against Payment | 付款交单 |
| D/A | Documents against Acceptance | 承兑交单 |
| O/A | Open Account | 赊账 |
| S/C | Sales Contract | 销售合同 |
| P/O | Purchase Order | 采购订单 |
| P/I | Proforma Invoice | 形式发票 |
| B/L | Bill of Lading | 海运提单 |
3. Document Names
| Abbreviation/Name | Full Name in English | Chinese Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| C/I | Commercial Invoice | 商业发票 |
| P/L | Packing List | 装箱单 |
| B/L | Bill of Lading | 海运提单 |
| AWB | Air Waybill | 空运提单 |
| S/O | Shipping Order | 订舱确认单/装货单 |
| CO | Certificate of Origin | 一般原产地证 |
| F/A | Form A (GSP Certificate of Origin) | 普惠制原产地证 |
| SGS | — | 瑞士通用公证行（检验机构） |
| CCIC | China Certification & Inspection Group | 中国检验认证集团 |
| PIC | Inspection Certificate | 检验证书 |
| W/M | Weight or Measurement | 重量或体积（取大值） |
4. Shipping and Logistics Terminology
| Abbreviation/Name | Full Name in English | Chinese Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| FCL | Full Container Load | 整柜 |
| LCL | Less than Container Load | 拼箱 |
| GP | General Purpose (Container) | 普通箱（干货箱） |
| HQ | High Cube (Container) | 高箱 |
| OT | Open Top (Container) | 开顶箱 |
| FR | Flat Rack (Container) | 平板箱/框架箱 |
| RF | Reefer (Container) | 冷藏箱 |
| TEU | Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit | 20英尺标准箱 |
| FEU | Forty-foot Equivalent Unit | 40英尺标准箱 |
| MBL | Master Bill of Lading | 船东提单（主单） |
| HBL | House Bill of Lading | 货代提单（分单） |
| THC | Terminal Handling Charge | 码头操作费 |
| DTHC | Destination THC | 目的港码头操作费 |
| BAF | Bunker Adjustment Factor | 燃油附加费 |
| CAF | Currency Adjustment Factor | 货币贬值附加费 |
| PSS | Peak Season Surcharge | 旺季附加费 |
| GRI | General Rate Increase | 运价普涨 |
| ETD | Estimated Time of Departure | 预计离港时间 |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival | 预计到港时间 |
| CY | Container Yard | 集装箱堆场 |
| CFS | Container Freight Station | 集装箱货运站 |
| VGM | Verified Gross Mass | 验证总重 |
| SOC | Shipper Owned Container | 货主自备箱 |
| COC | Carrier Owned Container | 承运人箱 |
| O/F | Ocean Freight | 海运费 |
| AMS | Automated Manifest System | 美国舱单申报系统 |
| ISF | Importer Security Filing | 进口安全申报（美国） |
| ENS | Entry Summary Declaration | 入境摘要报关单（欧洲） |
5. Customs Declaration and Clearance Terminology
| Abbreviation/Name | English / Chinese Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 报关 | Customs Declaration | Declaring imports/exports to customs |
| 清关 | Customs Clearance | Customs review and release |
| 查验 | Customs Inspection | Customs inspection of containers |
| 退税 | Tax Rebate / Drawback | Refund of VAT |
| 退运 | Return / Re-export | Goods returned to exporting country |
| 保税 | Bonded | Status of suspended tariff payment |
| 结关 | Customs Clearance Completed | All customs procedures completed |
| 商检 | Commodity Inspection |
6. Other Commonly Used Terms
| Abbreviation/Name | Full Name / Chinese Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| QTY | Quantity / 数量 | — |
| CTN | Carton / 纸箱 | — |
| PKG | Package / 包装件 | — |
| G.W. | Gross Weight / 毛重 | Weight including packaging |
| N.W. | Net Weight / 净重 | Weight excluding packaging |
| CBM | Cubic Meter / 立方米 | Volume unit |
| USD | US Dollar / 美元 | — |
| EUR | Euro / 欧元 | — |
| JPY | Japanese Yen / 日元 | — |
| F/X | Foreign Exchange / 外汇 | — |
| L/C | Letter of Indemnity / 保函 | Used for lost B/L / telex release, etc. |
| C/O | Care Of / 转交 | — |
| N.O.S. | Not Otherwise Specified | For customs declaration |
| FRT | Freight / 运费 | — |
Practical Tips
- Keep a copy for reference: It is recommended to save this guide as a PDF or print it out for easy daily reference.
- Build your own glossary: Record new terms as you encounter them to build your own foreign trade vocabulary base.
- Prefers abbreviations in English: In foreign trade emails and documents, try to use English abbreviations (e.g., FOB instead of "船上交货"), which is internationally understood.
💡 Mastering foreign trade terminology is the first step. This guide serves as a quick reference tool and we hope it helps you in your daily work.
📞 Have questions about logistics terms? Bofeng Logistics can answer your professional questions regarding international logistics. Hotline: 13075678958 | info@zhbfwl.com
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