Shipping Glossary

GA(P)

General arrangement (plan)

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

GBO

Goods in bad order

GCN or GENCON

General cargo charter party

GENWAYBILL

General Sea Waybill

GF

Government form

GFA

Good fair average

G-H

Ghent/Hamburg (range)

GIB

Gibraltar

GL

Gearless; or Germanischer Lloyd

GLESS

Gearless

GLR

German Liner Replacement

GM

Gram

GMT

Greenwich mean time

GNC

Global navigation chart

GNS

German North Sea

GO

Gas Oil

GOP

Gross operation profit

GP

General purpose crew

GR

Grain (capacity of vessel)

GRAINVOY

Grain charter party

GR/BL

Grain/bale

GRD or GD

Geared

GRI

General rate increase

GSAAAAB

Good safe always afloat always accessible berth

GSBAA

Good and safe berth always afloat

GSM

Good sound merchantable

GT or GRT

Gross tonnage/Gross ton; or Gross register tons

GVW

Gross vehicle weight

HAWB

House Air Waybill

HBL

House Bill of Lading

HC

High Cube. Containers 9 ft 6 ins high instead of usual 8 ft 6 ins.

HFO

Heavy Fuel Oil of the highest viscosity supplied by a refinery

HH

Half Height. An OT container only 4 ft 3 ins high.

HL

Half Length; or Heavy Lift

HNS

Hazardous & Noxious Substances. An international convention which was agreed at a diplomatic conference in 1996

HO

Head office

HSS

Heavy Grain, Soya’s, Sorghum

H.W

High Water

H.W.M

High water mark

Hbr

Harbour

Ht

Height

I.A.C.S

International Association of Classification Societies

I.A.I.N

International Association of Institutes of Navigation

I.A.L.A

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities

I.A.T.A

International Air Transport Association

I.Arb

Institute of Arbitrators

IB

In bond

IBAP

Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce. Authority monitoring application of CAP

I.B.C

Intermediate bulk carrier

I.C.B

International Container Bureau – also B.I.C.

I.C.&C

Invoice cost and charges

ICC

International Chamber of Commerce. The ICC are responsible for the drawing up of many international trade laws in order to protect the interests of both the seller and the buyer for example the INCOTERMS 2000 and the UCP 500 for documentary letters of credit.

ICC

Ins. Institute Cargo Clauses. The Institute of London Underwriters standard clauses for cargo insurance.

ICC

U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission. The U.S. governmental body to regulate interstate trade.

ICD

Inland Container Depot. A CFS with Customs Clearance Facilities.

I.C.H.C.A

International Cargo Handling Co-Ordination Association

I.C.O.T.A.S

International Committee on the Organisation of Traffic at Sea

I.C.S

International Chamber of Shipping; or Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

I.D

Import duty

IEF

International Exchange File

I/F

Insufficient funds

I.F.F

Institute of Freight Forwarders

IFO

Intermediate Fuel Oil (grade of fuel of viscosity between H.F.O. and M.D.O.)

I.F.S.M.A

International Federation of Ship’s Masters’ Association – also I.F.S.A.

I.F.T.A

Institute of Freight Trades Association

I.L.A

Institute of loss adjusters

I.L.U

Institute of London Underwriters

IMB

Imbalance

IMDG Code

International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code. The IMO recommendations for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea.

IMO

International Maritime Organisation. The UN Body charged with the duty of making safety and anti-pollution conventions and recommendations concerning sea transport.

IMS

Information Management Systems (Computer)

INS

Insurance

INT

Interest

I/O

In and/or over (stowage of cargo under or on deck)

I.S.F

International Shipping Federation

ISO

International Standards Organisation. International Organisation of National Standard Bodies responsible, inter alia, for setting standards.

ITS

Long Term Storage

IV

Invoice Value/Increased Value

IWL

Institute Warranty Limits

Inv

Invoice; or Investment

JCL

Joint Container Line

J. & W.O

Jettison and washing overboard

Kt

Thousand tons

L

Levy; or Liquid capacity; or Lever engines

L/A

Landing account; or Letter of Authority

LASH

Lighter aboard ship

LAYCAN

Laydays/Cancelling (date): Range of dates within the hire contract must start.

L.B.P

Length between Perpendiculars

L/C

Letter of Credit. The document in which the terms of a Documentary Credit transaction are set out.

L.C

Logistic Centre; or London clause

LCL

Less than Container Load. A parcel of goods too small to fill a container which is grouped by the Carrier at a CFS with other compatible goods for the same destination.

LEC

Local Export Control. A system of clearing export containers at Exporter's premises.

LEFOS

Lands End for Orders

LI

Letter of Indemnity Sometimes used to allow Consignee to take delivery of goods without surrendering B/L which has been delayed or become lost.

LIC

Local Import Control. A system of clearing import containers at Importer's premises.

L.I.F.O

Liner in free out

L.I.T

Longitude in time

LL

Load List; or Long Length

L.L

Load Lines