Dictionary of Shipping, Fifth Edition - International Business Trade Terms and Abbreviations

The dictionary is a reference guide to all aspects of shipping and international trade terms and abbreviations. It contains entries relating to international business, marketing, banking, seaports, airfreight, documentation, shipping, multimodalism, electronic data interchange, marine insurance and tourism.

Now in its 5th edition, it has been updated with 4,000 new entries, taking the total number of definitions provided to over 18,000.

It includes appendices on:

• Exportmaster consignment flowchart
• exportmaster operations flow chart
• exportmaster sales process and shipping process flowcharts
• major ports and their location
• currencies and conversions of weights and measures
• IMO Dangerous Goods labels.

Preface

Nearly 30 years have elapsed since this established internationally sold dictionary, was published. Today, it is a standard work and world market leader in its field. It is found on every bookshelf across the world which focuses on International Trade/Shipping/Seaports/ Finance/Insurance ranging from the student to the International Executive and the Multi National Enterprise.

The fifth edition contains 18,000 entries – compared with 14,000 in the previous edition – and has six appendices. It is a reference work to many in the industry of international trade and distribution/shipping/air/seaport and related integral businesses/activities. This new edition reflects the enormous changes which have emerged in recent years. Overall, it includes all the ingredients for conducting International Business which has become more complex and diverse. One must remember that the international contract embraces four elements finance, carriage, insurance and export sales contract.

The dictionary had been completely up-dated and covers the wide spectrum of International Business, Distribution -Shipping/Air and Trade embracing terms found in Advertising, Airports, Air Transport, Buying goods overseas (International Purchasing), Cargo handling, Computerisation, Containerisation, Customs, Documentation, E-mail, Export Practice, Export Marketing and Selling, Import Practice, International Banking, International Business, International Marketing, Logistics, International Road Haulage, Marine Engineering, Marine Insurance, Multimodalism, Seaports, Shipping, Tourism and World Currencies featuring separately Euro currency countries. Such enrichment to the fifth edition will further its popularity in international business in the industrial and service sectors globally. Equally, it will remain increasingly popular amongst students, undergraduates, libraries involving numerous institutes, colleges and universities throughout the world.

The book will be especially useful for students taking courses sponsored by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, British International Freight Association, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Institute of Bankers, Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Institute of Marine Engineers, Institute of Commercial Management and Institute of Export. It will also prove a popular dictionary for Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations and Training Agencies conducting short courses and seminars on International Trade and Shipping. Degree level undergraduates studying International Business, Finance, Management, Marketing, Logistics, Maritime Transport, Seaports, International Physical Distribution/Tourism will find the dictionary an essential reference work. Such university courses are situated not only in the United Kingdom but globally especially throughout Europe, United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australasia, South Africa, sub-continent, Nigeria, Cyprus, Malta and the Middle East.

The fifth edition contains a much enlarged input from organisations and practices around the world. This not only enriches the dictionary but also enables the reader to have better understanding of world culture and related terms and abbreviations used in the conduct of International Business. The extent of such input is exemplified in the many organisations which have helped us so enthusiastically with this work as recorded in the acknowledgements. In particular we would mention WTO, IATA, BIMCO, INTERTANKO, numerous banks, IPE, International Underwriting Association of London, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, HM Customs and Excise, UNCTAD, and IMO. We acknowledge with gratitude their help and likewise those we featured in the acknowledgements.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge with grateful thanks the generous secretarial help from Mr & Mrs Splarn, Mrs Jane Salter, and as always my dear wife Kathleen Branch. Such a quartet have provided us with encouragement, forbearance and above all complete professionalism in enabling this much enlarged and enriched fifth edition to be possible, for which we are greatly indebted.

Preface to the Fifth Edition

Acknowledgements

Dictionary of Shipping/International Trade Terms and Abbreviations

Appendix A:

Progressing Export Consignment - Flow Charts, Diagrams A and B

Export Process Improvements Cycle Diagram C

Export Master Sales Process and Shipping Process Flow Chart Diagram D

Appendix B:

Major Ports of the World and Their Location

Appendix C:

(i) World Currencies

(ii) Euro Based Currency Countries

Appendix D:

Conversion of Weights and Measures

Appendix E:

IMO Dangerous Goods Labels

Appendix F:

Further Recommended Reading

WPGL

Witherbys titles are developed using scripts developed by technical experts that are peer reviewed within work groups. Typically, they seek to improve understanding of the regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by Industry.

Witherbys staff have significant expertise in the fields of navigation and hazardous cargoes as well as in the presentation of complex subjects in a graphic and easy to understand manner.

Professor Alan E. Branch

Alan Branch was an international business and shipping consultant, an author of several books on these subject and an examiner in shipping, export practice and international marketing. He also held a number of visiting lecturer positions, including at Plymouth University, London City College and the Rennes International School of Business, France.

David Branch

David Branch is an international business consultant.