Logistics glossary: the terms on your shipping documents, decoded
Every term below appears on real shipping and customs paperwork for Saudi imports. Definitions are one to three lines, with the Saudi-specific meaning where it differs. For deeper treatment, most entries link to a full guide.
Freight & booking terms
- FCL / LCL — full container load (your own box) vs less-than-container (shared, billed per CBM); break-even ~12–15 CBM
- CBM — cubic metre; the volume unit LCL and warehousing price by (see our calculators)
- Chargeable weight — air billing weight: greater of actual and volumetric (cm³÷6000)
- MBL / HBL — master bill (line→forwarder) vs house bill (forwarder→you); your release rests on the pair
- Telex release / seaway bill — electronic surrender of originals / non-title transport document
- SOC / COC — shipper-owned vs carrier-owned container
- Transshipment — vessel change at a hub (Jebel Ali, Colombo); normal, adds days
- RoRo / breakbulk / OOG — wheeled cargo / piece-by-piece loading / out-of-gauge on flat racks
- ETD / ETA / free time — estimated departure/arrival; days before storage or demurrage start
Charges & commercial terms
- Incoterms (EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP…) — who pays and risks each leg; see the dedicated guide
- BAF / CAF — bunker (fuel) and currency adjustment surcharges on ocean freight
- THC — terminal handling charges at both ports
- PSS / GRI — peak season surcharge / general rate increase (carrier price moves)
- Demurrage / detention — container overstaying port free days / returned late to the line
- Freight collect / prepaid — payable at destination vs origin, set by your Incoterm
- General average — vessel-emergency cost sharing across all cargo; insurance covers it
- LC (letter of credit) — bank-secured payment; requires documents exactly per its terms
Saudi customs & compliance terms
- ZATCA — Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority; duty (mostly 5% CIF) and 15% import VAT
- FASAH — the single-window platform where declarations (bayan) are filed
- Bayan — the customs declaration itself
- SABER / PCoC / SCoC — conformity platform; product certificate (12 months) + per-shipment certificate
- SASO / SFDA / CITC — standards body / food-drug authority / telecom regulator (radio devices)
- HS code — 12-digit Saudi classification setting duty and certificate requirements
- CIF value — goods + insurance + freight; the customs valuation base regardless of Incoterm
- Red/yellow/green lane — risk-engine outcomes: inspection / document review / release
- Mukhallis (مخلص جمركي) — licensed customs broker
- Tafweed — the authorisation letting a broker file on your behalf
- IOR — importer of record; the entity legally importing (see the dedicated guide)
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
Demurrage: the container overstays free days inside the port. Detention: the emptied container returns late to the shipping line. Both bill daily and can run simultaneously.
What does telex release mean?
The original B/L was surrendered at origin, so the destination office releases cargo electronically — no couriered originals needed.
What is a bayan?
The Saudi customs declaration filed in FASAH — the document ZATCA assesses duty and VAT against.
What is chargeable weight in air freight?
The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (L×W×H in cm ÷ 6000) — light bulky cargo pays for its size.
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