Have you ever had to file your EEI with AES and forgotten your ECCN? Or attempted to complete your export paperwork and realized BIS classified your item as EAR99 and you can ship under NLR? Or does this sound like Greek to you?
Exporters have a language all our own—from common terms we see and use everyday to acronyms we may have to look up to remind ourselves of. Chances are you use many of these acronyms every day, but there may be some you forget from time to time. (I know I do!)
That’s why I thought it would be helpful to compile several dozen of the most common exporting acronyms (sorted alphabetically) into a cheat sheet that translates these terms for me. How many are you familiar with?
- ACE: Automated Commercial Environment
- AES: Automated Export System
- AT: Anti-Terrorism
- AWB: Air Waybill
- BIS: Bureau of Industry and Security
- BOL (or B/L): Bill of Lading
- CAFTA/CAFTA-DR: Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
- CARICOM: Caribbean Community and Common Market
- CBP: Customs & Border Protection
- CC: Crime Control
- CCI: Canada Customs Invoice
- CCL: Commerce Control List
- COO: Certificate of Origin
- DDTC: Directorate of Defense Trade Controls
- DEC: District Export Council
- DGR: Dangerous Goods Regulations
- DHS: Department of Homeland Security
- DPS: Denied Party Screening
- EAR: Export Administration Regulations
- EAR99: Items that fall under the jurisdiction of the EAR but are not found on the Commerce Control List (CCL)
- ECCN: Export Control Classification Number
- EEI: Electronic Export Information
- ECP: Export Compliance Program
- EX-IM: Export-Import Bank of the United States
- FPPI: Foreign Principal Party in Interest
- FTA: Free Trade Agreement
- FTR: Foreign Trade Regulations
- FTZ: Foreign Trade Zone
- GSP: Generalized System of Preferences
- HS: Harmonized System
- HTS: Harmonized Tariff Schedule
- IATA: International Air Transport Association
- ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- IEEPA: International Emergency Economic Powers Act
- IMDG: International Maritime Dangerous Goods
- IMO: International Maritime Organization
- Incoterms:
- EXW (Ex Works)
- FCA (Free Carrier)
- CPT (Carriage Paid To)
- CIP (Carriage and Insurance Paid To)
- DAT (Delivered at Terminal)
- DAP (Delivered at Place)
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)
- FAS (Free Alongside Ship)
- FOB (Free on Board)
- CFR (Cost and Freight)
- CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight)
- ITAR: International Traffic in Arms Regulations
- ITN: Internal Transaction Number
- KORUS: U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement
- L/C: Letter of Credit
- LV: Low Value
- NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement
- NCBFAA: National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America
- NLR: No License Required
- NS: National Security
- OEE: Office of Export Enforcement
- OFAC: Office of Foreign Assets Control at the U.S. Treasury Department
- RPS: Restricted Party Screening
- SDN: Specially Designated National
- SED: Shipper’s Export Declaration
- SLI: Shipper’s Letter of Instruction
- SNAP-R: Simplified Network Application Process Redesign
- SOLAS: Safety of Life at Seas
- STA: Strategic Trade Authorization
- TMP: Temporary Imports, Exports, Re-exports, and Transfers In-Country Export License Exception
- TPP: Trans-Pacific Partnership
- UCP 600: Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits
- USEAC: United States Export Assistance Center
- USMCA: United States - Mexico - Canada Agreement
- USML: United States Munitions List
- USPPI: United States Principal Party in Interest
Hopefully you can bookmark this list and use it when you just can’t recall the difference between FTA, FTR and FTZ.
Now, I know I didn’t include every acronym in this cheat sheet. Which ones did I miss? Leave a comment below with your suggestions.
