Shipping Terms: Ballast to Cargo Manifest

• Ballast is heavy cargo loaded to steady a vessel or aircraft, especially when other cargo is scarce
• Ballast of no commercial value can be discharged with a permit from Customs
• Berth refers to the part of a pier or wharf occupied by a vessel, or any place a vessel can anchor
• Bill of Lading is a transport document for ocean freight issued by shipping lines, carriers, Int'l Freight Forwarders or NVOCCs
• Bond is an instrument guaranteeing the integrity, honesty, financial responsibility, and compliance of the principal
• Break-bulk refers to non-containerized cargo grouped or consolidated for shipment, then broken down (pallets, bags, boxes)
• Bulk refers to liquid or dry goods shipped loose and requiring pumping, shovelling, or similar methods for handling
• Cargo Manifest is a declaration of the entire cargo, providing customs officers with a list for checking
• The cargo manifest helps revenue officers, informs about goods entering the country, and guards against smuggling
• Carrier is the person transporting goods or responsible for the means of transportation
• Customs Clearance involves completing customs formalities for goods to enter for home use, warehousing, transit, export, etc
• Coastwise Ports are domestic ports open to coastwise trade, including all ports, harbors, and places, excluding non-ports of entry
• Container Freight Station is a warehouse near a Container Yard for sorting and storing container cargo for import/export
• Containerized Cargo is cargo stuffed in a container van of specific dimensions conforming to ISO 668-li1976
• These container dimensions were created to facilitate easy handling and transfer between transport modes
• Devanning describes the transfer of cargo from one container to another
• Discharge Port Survey (DPS) is a report by an Accredited Cargo Surveying Company (ACSC) for Bulk/Break-Bulk Cargo. DPS takes place after a survey at the discharge port
• Dry-dock is a dock where water can be temporarily excluded to repair ship hulls and keels
• Encargo is an entrusted shipment of merchandise or articles from abroad
• Foreign Trade involves the commercial exchange of commodities between different countries, including export and import
• Foreign trade is synonymous with "foreign commerce," which includes trade between individuals or entities in different countries
• Hatch is an opening in a ship's deck used to lower cargo
• Less Container Load describes a container loaded with cargoes belonging to multiple consignees and/or covered by multiple bills of lading
• Load Port Survey is a report by an Accredited Cargo Surveying Company (ACSC) for Bulk/Break-Bulk Cargo imported into the Philippines. The ACSC submits this report to the Bureau of Customs electronically
• Moor means securing a vessel alongside the berth using mooring ropes.
• Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) is a person offering international transport without owning the transport equipment
• NVOCCs deal with shippers and issue transport documents, subcontracting stages of transport to vessels, aircraft, and trucks
• Port of Entry is a domestic port open to foreign and coastwise trade, including principal and sub ports
• A "principal port of entry is the chief port of entry of the collection district"
• Pratique is permission from quarantine officials for a vessel/aircraft to interact with the port after complying with regulations
• Quay is a landing place or pier, usually solid, where vessels berth to load or unload cargo
• Regular Shipside Permit is required for cargoes that belong to the categories of regular shipside cargoes under the existing regulations
• Saloon Stores refers to supplies listed as such for sale on board a vessel or aircraft
• Sea Stores are foodstuff articles, such as food, wine, cigarettes, for consumption only of the passengers and crew
• Shifting of Cargoes involves transferring cargoes between vessels and docks, or between different points within the same vessel
• Ship's Stores consist of spare equipment like chains and anchors, necessary for safe navigation
• Shipside Permit is authority from the Collector of Customs (or representative) for the Customs Inspector to allow cargo discharge at shipside
• Special Shipside Permit is required for non-regular shipside cargoes, needing approval from the Collector of Customs
• Stripping means unloading all goods or cargoes from a container
• Stuffing means filling a container with goods or cargoes
• Temporary Shipside Permit is written authority to discharge cargoes at shipside as per order of the Collector of Customs
• Transit is a Customs procedure where goods are transported under Customs control from one Customs office to another
• Transit Cargo is an article arriving at any port, from another port or place, and destined for transit or transshipment to another local port or to a foreign port
• Transhipment is a Customs procedure where goods are transferred under Customs control from the importing transport to the exporting transport within one Customs office
• This Customs office is responsible for both importation and exportation
• Vessels includes every sort of boat, craft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as means of transportation on water

Definitions of shipping-related terms. Includes ballast, berth, bill of lading, bond, break-bulk, bulk, and cargo manifest. Useful for understanding international freight and customs procedures.