TANKTAINER

Tank built into standard container frame and used to transport liquids.

TARE

Amount of gross weight on freight shipment that can be deducted for packaging weight.  Usual allowance is four pounds per 104 pounds.

TARE WEIGHT

The weight of a container and packing materials without the weight of the goods it contains.
               

TARIFF (or Tariff Schedule)

A schedule of taxes or duties on imported goods.  

TARIFF RATE QUOTA

A quota placed on specific goods that increases the duties that must be paid on these goods once a certain amount has been imported.

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

A committee comprised of members of the business community that advise the Department of Commerce and other agencies on technical issues related to export control regulations and policy.  (USA)

TEMPORARY DENIAL ORDER

Also formerly the acronym for the “Table of Denial Orders,” now known as the Denied Persons List.

TEMPORARY IMPORTATION UNDER BOND

The process by which a company that desires to import goods for a limited amount of time, often for sales purposes or trade shows, and re-export them without paying duties, posts a bond with a host government to ensure compliance with a specified time allowance.

TENDER

Offer of goods for transportation by shipper, or offer of delivery by carrier.

TERMINAL

A location or building for the handling and/or temporary storage of freight as it is loaded or discharged from a vessel. 

TERMINAL HANDLING CHARGE

An ancillary charge on some ocean freight shipments to cover the cost of moving the container from the container yard to ocean vessel.

THIRD FLAG CARRIER

A carrier that transports cargo between two nations, neither of which is the carrier's country of registry.  These carriers also are referred to as "crosstraders".

THROUGH BILL OF LADING

A Bill of Lading that covers goods moving from point of origin to final destination, even though transfers are made to different carriers in transit.  

THROUGH RATE

A rate applicable from point of origin to final destination.  

T.I.R. CARNET

French for "Transit International Router" Carnet.  See Carnet.

TIME VOLUME AGREEMENT

A contract between a carrier and shipper that usually specifies the movement of a certain number of containers over a certain period of time, usually 12 months.

TITLE

Document that confers on holder the right of ownership, possession or transfer of merchandise specified.

TOLERANCE

The permissible amount of variation from a standard.

TONNAGE

Carrying capacity of ship/vessel in tons. 

TRACE

To follow the record and/or movement of a shipment.

TRACER

A request upon a carrier to trace a shipment in order to locate it, expedite its movement, or establish delivery dates.

TRADE POLICY COMMITTEE

A committee that provides broad guidance on trade issues.

TRADING COMPANY/FIRM

A company that procures items from a multitude of suppliers and exports them and/or receives a multitude of shipments from foreign companies and makes them available for purchase domestically.

TRAFFIC

The transit of people and/or property. 

TRAILER LOADING DIAGRAM

A pictorial description of the layout of cargo in a trailer.

TRAILER-ON-FLATCAR

Shipments that involve loading containers or trailers onto railway cars for some portion of a shipment’s transit.  Also called piggyback.  

TRAILER SHIP

A vessel equipped with ramps to allow trailers to be driven on or off for loading/unloading.

TRAMP

A vessel that does not operate along definite routes or on fixed schedules, but calls at any port where cargo may be available.

TRAMP STEAMER

A ship not operating on regular routes or schedules.

TRANSACTION VALUE

The price actually paid or payable by the buyer to the seller for the merchandise when sold for exportation to the United States. Transaction value is the most common method for valuing imported merchandise.

TRANSSHIP

Commonly used to denote transfer of goods from one means of transportation to another.  Rehandling of goods enroute.

TRANSSHIPMENT

When a product is manufactured in one country, enters the commerce of a second country, and is exported and sold in a third country.  

TRIP CHARTER

Hiring a vessel to haul cargo for a special voyage.

TWENTY FOOT EQUIVALENT UNIT

A unit of measure that could be determined using a 20-foot container as a benchmark.