Glossary Of Terms
Bill of Entry
A list of goods received at a customhouse for export or import, detailing the merchant, precise quantity and value of goods that have landed or are being shipped out, and place of origin or destination. It is issued by the customs presenting the total assigned value and the corresponding duty charged on the cargo. Please also see "Export Permit".
B/L
Bill of Lading, sometimes abbreviated as B/L or BOL, is one of the most important documents in the shipping process. To ship any goods, a B/L is required and will be issued by the freight carrier or their agent to the shipper or their agent, and it works as Receipt of Goods, Evidence of Contract of Carriage between the freight carrier and the shipper, and Document of Title to the goods. A completed B/L legally shows that the carrier has received the freight as described and is obligated to deliver that freight in good condition to the consignee. The information in the B/L is critical as it directs the actions of personnel all along the route of the shipment - where it is going, the piece count, how it is billed, and how it is to be handled on the dock and trailers. The original B/L must be presented in order to release the cargo at the destination to the consignee on delivery.
C&F
Cost and Freight, a term of sale signifying that the price invoiced or quoted by a seller for a shipment does not include the insurance costs, but include the cost of goods and all other costs relating to all the means of transportation of the goods necessary to bring the goods to a named port of destination.
Cancellation of Registration Form
The certificate of temporally registration cancellation for export. This document shows that the vehicle can genuinely be exported from Japan. It includes technical details and specifications of the car. Please also see "Export Certificate".
VAP
Vehicle-at-Progress, the personal web page on JAN JAPAN website for the buyer to track the progress of the shipment. The link of the personal VAP page will be sent once our staff acknowledged the payment which usually takes within a week. Please visit our VAP page for more information about VAP features.
CIF
Cost, Insurance, and Freight, a term of sale signifying that the price invoiced or quoted by a seller for a shipment includes the cost of goods, the insurance costs, and all other costs relating to all the means of transportation of the goods necessary to bring the goods to a named port of destination. In this term, the seller pays for the freight and marine insurance only up to the port of destination; therefore, the freight and insurance there after from the arrival port up to the final destination of the buyer has to be paid by the buyer only.
Clearing Agent
A person or a company authorized by the international customs authorities to certify and manage consignments between countries. They essentially take care of the customs clearance aspect of the goods such as arranges to pass the relevant documents at customs, arrange for customs inspections as required, and process Duty and VAT payments as applicable.
Commercial Invoice
A document required by customs to determine the true value of the imported goods for assessment of duties and taxes.
Consignee
A person who will be the “owner” of the car after it is registered in the destination country.
Deregistration Certificate
An Ownership/De-Registration Document. All vehicles that are bought and owned legally in Japan must have this document. Please also see "Export Certificate".
DHL Delivery Address
Delivery address for the shipping documents (not the vehicle) to be used by JAN JAPAN to dispatch documents to the vehicle’s buyer.
EAA
East Africa Automobile Services; a pre-export inspection company authorized by the Tanzania Standard Bureau (TBS) and Ugandan National Standard Bureau (UNBS).
ETA
Estimated Time of Arrival; the date and time in which an air or ship journey is expected to arrive at a named city or port.
ETD
Estimated Time of Departure; the date and time in which an air or ship journey is expected to depart from a named city or port.
Export Certificate
A document that confirms the noted items are being legally exported from their country of origin. The Export Certificate is obtained by the export company just before exporting from Japan. If the exporter does not have the Export Certificate, the vehicle cannot be exported from Japan. (i.e. The car that had previously been registered in Japan has been cancelled.)
Export Permit
A document issued by the Japanese Customs Office that ensures the shipment is in compliance with all of the applicable export control measures. Exporters must declare to the Customs the nature of the goods as well as the quantity, price, and any other necessary particulars. An export permit must also be obtained after the necessary physical examination.
FOB
Free on Board, a term of sale under which the price invoiced or quoted by a seller includes all charges up to placing the goods on board a ship at the port of departure. The term “FOB Price”, as seen on JAN JAPAN website, refers to the vehicle price only. Any freight charges will be added to the FOB price when you purchase the vehicle from us. After receiving the vehicle, you will be responsible for paying any port clearing costs, import duties, taxes and any others fees required by your country and/or the port of discharge.
Forwarding Agent
A person or company that arranges the transportation of cargo from the port of discharge to the vehicle’s destination country.
Import Permit
A document issued by certain governments giving permission to import goods. The South African government requires this document, which is issued by the ITAC, for importing vehicles, as well as a Letter of Authority (LOA), which is issued by the NRCS.
Inspection Certificate
This certificate shows that the vehicle had passed the required pre-export inspection, met the required specifications, and is in good condition and correct quantity when leaving the port of departure.
Insurance Document
Proof of insurance for CIF shipments.
Intertek
Intertek International Ltd.; a company solely appointed by the Government of Mozambique to carry out pre-shipment inspections on all imported vehicles.
ITAC
International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa; an organization that manages the administration of international trade in South Africa. Its primary responsibilities include import and export control. The South African government requires an Import Permit for importing vehicles, which is issued by the ITAC, as well as a Letter of Authorization (LOA), which is issued by the NRCS.
JEVIC
Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Center Co., Ltd.; a Japanese-registered company that specializes in pre-shipment inspection and certification of cargo. The inspection certificate issued by this organization is required by the Kenyan government and Zambian government for importing vehicles into their respective countries.
LOA
Letter of Authority; a document required by certain governments for importing a vehicle. The South African government requires this document for importing vehicles, which is issued by the NRCS, as well as an Import Permit, which is issued by the ITAC.
Notify Party
The person whom the shipping agent will contact in order to notify the confirmed arrival date of the cargo vessel to the port of destination.
NRCS
National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications. The South African government requires a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for importing vehicles, which is issued by the NRCS, as well as an Import Permit, which is issued by the ITAC.
Packing List
An itemized list of articles usually included in each shipping package, giving the quantity, description, and weight of the contents.
Port of Departure
The departure point of a ship or shipment.
Port of Discharge
The place where a vessel is off-loaded and the shipments are dispersed to their respective consignees.
Proforma Invoice
The “final estimation” in the form of an invoice based on the chosen vehicle and shipping conditions. This estimated invoice is sent by a seller to a buyer in advance of a shipment or delivery of goods. It notes the kind and quantity of goods, their value, and the other important information such as weight and transportation charges.
Shipping Agent
An agency responsible for handling shipments and cargo at ports and harbors on behalf of shipping companies (i.e., they represent the shipping company).
Transshipment
The transfer of a shipment from one vessel to another while in transit to its final destination.
TT Copy
Telegraphic Transfer Copy; the paper copy of a bank transfer.
Under Offer
An offer to purchase the vehicle has been made by a potential buyer, thereby making it unavailable for other customers to make an offer or receive a quote on that vehicle. If the offer is accepted and we confirm the customer payment, it becomes SOLD and is no longer available to other customers. If the offer is rejected or expires, the vehicle remains in inventory and becomes available for other customers to make an offer.
Vanning Charge/Fee
The fee for loading and securing a shipping container.
Vehicle Destination
The country destination where the vehicle will actually be registered for use.
Zampost
Zambia Postal Services Corporation; a public postal operator that sells vehicles on behalf of JAN JAPAN at select post offices in Zambia.