Sea cargo reference

The letters that say who pays to lift the box

Two rates on the same lane can sit hundreds of dollars apart because of the term on the quote. Each code below marks where the line’s job starts and stops, and whether the terminal charge is already in the price.

The four port-to-port terms on one route

FIFO, LIFO, FILO and LILO cover the same ocean leg. They differ only in who pays to load at origin and who pays to discharge at destination.

Which terminal charges the four port terms include A route from the shipper through the origin yard and the load, across the ocean, to discharge, the destination yard and the consignee. FIFO includes neither lift. LIFO includes the load only. FILO includes the discharge only. LILO includes both. Ocean leg Door CY Load Discharge CY Door Seller Buyer FIFO LIFO FILO LILO

22 of 22 terms in view

Port to port

These are the codes a liner quote uses between terminals. They differ only in which end's handling charge the line has already absorbed.

FIOS Free in/out and stowed

The rate covers the ocean freight and the surcharges. Loading, discharge and stowage on board are all extra.

Origin terminal Destination terminal Origin handling excluded Destination handling excluded

FIFO Free in/out

The rate covers the ocean freight and the surcharges. Both terminal charges, loading and discharge, sit outside it.

Origin terminal Destination terminal Origin handling excluded Destination handling excluded

LIFO Liner in/free out

The rate covers the ocean freight and the loading charge at origin. Discharge at destination is extra.

Origin terminal Destination terminal Origin handling included Destination handling excluded

FILO Free in/liner out

The rate covers the ocean freight and the discharge charge at destination. Loading at origin is extra.

Origin terminal Destination terminal Origin handling excluded Destination handling included

LILO Liner in/out

The rate covers the ocean freight and both terminal charges, loading and discharge.

Origin terminal Destination terminal Origin handling included Destination handling included

Through the container yard

How far inland a line will go depends on the country: a yard by the port, a yard further inland, or the client’s door. These codes carry the rate past the terminal gate and add forwarding at one end or both.

LICY Liner in/container yard

The rate covers the ocean freight, both terminal charges, and forwarding on from the destination terminal to the yard.

Origin terminal Destination container yard Origin handling included Destination handling included

FICY Free in/container yard

Loading at origin is extra. The rate covers discharge and forwarding on to the destination yard.

Origin terminal Destination container yard Origin handling excluded Destination handling included

CYCY Container yard/container yard

The rate covers both terminal charges and forwarding at the yard on each end.

Origin container yard Destination container yard Origin handling included Destination handling included

CYLO Container yard/liner out

The rate covers forwarding from the origin yard, the loading charge and the discharge charge.

Origin container yard Destination terminal Origin handling included Destination handling included

CYFO Container yard/free out

The rate covers forwarding from the origin yard and the loading charge. Discharge is extra.

Origin container yard Destination terminal Origin handling included Destination handling excluded

To or from the warehouse

Door codes put a land leg on the line's account. The rate then covers pickup from the shipper, delivery to the consignee, or both.

Door-to-Door

The line moves the box from the shipper's warehouse to the consignee's warehouse. Both inland legs, transhipment, surcharges, the ocean or air freight and both terminal charges are in the rate.

Shipper's warehouse Consignee's warehouse Origin handling included Destination handling included

Door-LO Door/liner out

The line moves the box from the shipper's warehouse to the destination terminal. The origin inland leg, transhipment, surcharges, the ocean or air freight and both terminal charges are in the rate.

Shipper's warehouse Destination terminal Origin handling included Destination handling included

Door-CY Door/container yard

The line moves the box from the shipper's warehouse to the destination yard. The origin inland leg, transhipment, surcharges, the ocean or air freight, both terminal charges and destination forwarding are in the rate.

Shipper's warehouse Destination container yard Origin handling included Destination handling included

Door-FO Door/free out

The line moves the box from the shipper's warehouse to the destination terminal. The origin inland leg, transhipment, surcharges and the ocean or air freight are in the rate. Destination handling is extra.

Shipper's warehouse Destination terminal Origin handling included Destination handling excluded

CY-Door Container yard/door

The line moves the box from the origin yard to the consignee's warehouse. Origin forwarding, both terminal charges, the ocean or air freight, surcharges, transhipment and the destination inland leg are in the rate.

Origin container yard Consignee's warehouse Origin handling included Destination handling included

LI-Door Liner in/door

The line moves the box from the origin terminal to the consignee's warehouse. Origin handling, the ocean or air freight, surcharges, transhipment and the destination inland leg are in the rate.

Origin terminal Consignee's warehouse Origin handling included Destination handling included

FI-Door Free in/door

The line moves the box from the origin terminal to the consignee's warehouse. The ocean or air freight, surcharges, transhipment, destination handling and the destination inland leg are in the rate. Loading at origin is extra.

Origin terminal Consignee's warehouse Origin handling excluded Destination handling included

Added charges

A line, or the habit of a particular port, may add any of these on top of the rate.

BAF Bunker Adjustment Factor

The part of the sea freight that moves with the oil price.

CAF Currency Adjustment Factor

An addition that offsets a shift in the exchange rate.

CUC Chassis Using Charge

A fee for the chassis the box sits on.

Documentation Fee

A fee for drawing up the shipping papers.

Wharfage

The port’s fee for using the wharf to take cargo off the ship. It is usually already inside the freight or the terminal charge, unless the quote says otherwise.

  • A door-to-door line seldom packs or unpacks the container. The shipper does that, or a forwarder does it for them.
  • Surcharges change with the line and with the port, so check which ones are already inside the rate you were quoted.

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