Glossary

HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) codes are goods classification codes used by U.S. customs and members of the World Customs Organization to classify goods for customs clearance.

Automated Manifest System (AMS) is an electronic information transfer system run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that captures details on air and ocean shipments.

Demurrage is a fee charged by ports or ocean carriers on shippers whose containers remain in the port terminal beyond a container’s designated free time.

Detention is a fee charged by the ocean carriers when a container is kept outside of the port terminal and not returned during its free time.

Last free day refers to the expiry date of a free storage period for freight pickups.

Rolled cargo describes shipments that were not loaded onto a vessel or cargo plane because of a variety of issues such as overbooking, lack of capacity or late customs clearance.

Preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are agreements made to set rules to facilitate commerce between select governments and eliminate trade barriers.

A Partner Government Agency (PGA) is a U.S. government agency that works with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to regulate commodities imports.

Chassis is a piece of trucking equipment used to truck FCL shipments.

A chassis pool is a location such as a port or rail terminal where chassis are stored and made available for rental.

Anti-dumping duties are established to protect local industry from foreign manufacturers of goods in certain categories.

A customs tariff is a tax levied on imports and is typically imposed by the government of the importing country.

A customs entry is a declaration made to a local customs authority by a licensed customs broker for the customs clearance of imports and exports.

De minimis fee is the price threshold below which shipments are subject to either reduced or no taxes.

A preferential duty is a duty with a lower than normal tariff rate levied on imports originating from countries within a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) treaty network.