RENSAT — Your UK and France Trade Compliance Specialists
Glossary & Abbreviations
Term / Abbreviation | Meaning | Explanation | Country / Region |
|---|---|---|---|
AD Code | Authorised Dealer Code | A code issued by an authorised bank in India that exporters must register with Indian Customs before exporting goods. | India |
ADC | Assistant Drug Controller | The Indian authority responsible for regulating the import and export of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. | India |
AEO | Authorised Economic Operator | An internationally recognised customs accreditation demonstrating high standards of customs compliance and supply chain security. | UK / EU / India |
Air Waybill (AWB) | Air Waybill | The transport document used for air freight shipments. | International |
ATA Carnet | Admission Temporaire Carnet | An international customs document allowing temporary import and export of goods without customs duties or taxes. | International |
Authorised Consignee | Authorised Consignee | A business approved to receive goods moving under a transit procedure without presenting them at a customs office. | UK / EU |
Authorised Consignor | Authorised Consignor | A business authorised to dispatch goods under a transit procedure from its own premises. | UK / EU |
Authorised Representative | Authorised Representative | A person or business appointed to act on behalf of another company for customs or regulatory purposes. | International |
AWB | Air Waybill | The transport contract and receipt for goods carried by air. | International |
B/L | Bill of Lading | The shipping line’s receipt and title document for sea freight. | International |
BE | Bill of Entry | The customs declaration submitted when goods are imported into India. | India |
BIS | Bureau of Indian Standards | India’s national standards body responsible for product certification. | India |
Bonded Warehouse | Bonded Warehouse | A secure customs-approved warehouse where goods may be stored before duties and taxes are paid. | International |
BOE | Bill of Entry | The import declaration filed with Indian Customs. | India |
Border Inspection Post (BIP) | Border Inspection Post | A designated location where certain goods are inspected before entering a country. | UK / EU |
BTI | Binding Tariff Information | A legally binding customs decision confirming the correct commodity code. | UK / EU |
C88 | C88 Customs Declaration | Traditional UK customs declaration form. | UK |
Carnet | ATA Carnet | The pass that lets goods travel abroad temporarily without paying duty. | International |
CBAM | Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism | The EU’s carbon border levy on imported steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen, with reporting duties for importers. | EU |
CBIC | Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs | Indian government authority responsible for customs and GST. | India |
CDS | Customs Declaration Service | HMRC’s online declaration platform – the system RENSAT files UK import and export entries through directly. | UK |
CFS | Container Freight Station | Facility where containerised cargo is consolidated and processed. | India / International |
CFSP | Customs Freight Simplified Procedures | HMRC authorisation allowing simplified customs declarations. | UK |
CHA | Customs House Agent | Former Indian term for a licensed Customs Broker. | India |
CHED | Common Health Entry Document | Required for certain food, feed, animal and plant products entering the EU. | EU |
CHIEF | Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight | HMRC’s old declaration system, now retired and replaced by CDS. | UK |
CMR | Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road | Standard international road transport document. | Europe |
Commodity Code | Commodity Code | Code used to classify goods for customs purposes. | International |
Commercial Invoice | Commercial Invoice | Invoice used by Customs to determine shipment value and duties. | International |
Consignee | Consignee | Person or business receiving the goods. | International |
Consignor | Consignor | Person or business sending or exporting the goods. | International |
COO | Certificate of Origin | Document certifying the country where goods were manufactured. | International |
CPC | Customs Procedure Code | Code identifying the customs procedure being applied. | UK |
CPT | Carriage Paid To | Incoterm® where the seller pays carriage to the agreed destination. | International |
Customs Broker | Customs Broker | Professional authorised to complete customs formalities on behalf of traders. | International |
Customs Clearance | Customs Clearance | Process of obtaining customs approval for imported or exported goods. | International |
Customs Declaration | Customs Declaration | Official declaration submitted to Customs about imported or exported goods. | International |
Customs Duty | Customs Duty | Tax charged on imported goods. | International |
Customs Value | Customs Value | Value used by Customs to calculate duties and taxes. | International |
DAP | Delivered at Place | Incoterm® where the seller delivers goods to the named destination and the buyer is responsible for import formalities. | International |
DDP | Delivered Duty Paid | Incoterm® where the seller is responsible for transport, customs duties and taxes to the named destination. | International |
DELTA IE | French Customs Declaration System | The system RENSAT files French entries through directly. | France |
DGFT | Directorate General of Foreign Trade | Indian authority responsible for foreign trade policy and issuing IECs. | India |
DUCR | Declaration Unique Consignment Reference | Unique reference used for UK export declarations. | UK |
EHC | Export Health Certificate | Certificate required for certain animal and plant products. | UK |
ELO | Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire | France’s mandatory logistics envelope for road freight, required at French ports and the Channel Tunnel since April 2026. | France |
EMCS | Excise Movement and Control System | Electronic system for monitoring excise goods. | UK / EU |
ENS | Entry Summary Declaration | The safety and security declaration filed before goods arrive, so customs can risk-assess a shipment ahead of the border. | UK / EU |
EORI | Economic Operator Registration and Identification Number | The registration number a business needs before it can lodge customs declarations or generate an ENS. | UK / EU |
EPCG | Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme | Indian export incentive scheme. | India |
ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival | Expected arrival time of a shipment. | International |
ETD | Estimated Time of Departure | Expected departure time of a shipment. | International |
EU Customs Code (UCC) | Union Customs Code | Legal framework governing EU customs procedures. | EU |
EXS | Exit Summary Declaration | Safety and security declaration for exports where required. | UK / EU |
EXW | Ex Works | Incoterm® placing most responsibilities on the buyer. | International |
FAS | Free Alongside Ship | Incoterm® for sea freight. | International |
FCA | Free Carrier | Incoterm® where seller delivers to a carrier. | International |
FCL | Full Container Load | One shipment occupies a full container. | International |
FEU | Forty-foot Equivalent Unit | 40-foot container measurement. | International |
FOB | Free On Board | Incoterm® used mainly for sea freight. | International |
FSSAI | Food Safety and Standards Authority of India | Indian food regulator. | India |
FTA | Free Trade Agreement | Agreement reducing or removing trade barriers. | International |
FTL | Full Truck Load | Dedicated road vehicle for one shipment. | International |
GMR | Goods Movement Reference | The single reference GVMS generates to tie a vehicle’s declarations together, shown by the driver at the port before boarding. | UK |
GST | Goods and Services Tax | Indian indirect tax. | India |
GVMS | Goods Vehicle Movement Service | HMRC’s system for road freight crossing the UK border, tying a vehicle’s customs declarations to one movement reference. | UK |
Haulier | Road Transport Operator | Company transporting goods by road. | International |
HMRC | His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs | UK tax and customs authority. | UK |
HS Code | Harmonised System Code | International product classification code. | International |
HSN | Harmonised System of Nomenclature | Indian product classification system. | India |
ICEGATE | Indian Customs Electronic Gateway | Indian online customs portal. | India |
ICS2 | Import Control System 2 | The EU’s pre-arrival safety and security system that ENS declarations are filed into. | EU |
ICD | Inland Container Depot | Inland customs clearance facility. | India |
IEC | Import Export Code | Code required for most Indian importers and exporters. | India |
IGM | Import General Manifest | Manifest submitted before imported cargo arrives. | India |
IMDG | International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code | Rules for transporting dangerous goods by sea. | International |
Incoterms® | International Commercial Terms | Rules defining buyer and seller responsibilities. | International |
Import Declaration | Import Declaration | Customs declaration for imported goods. | International |
IOR | Importer of Record | Party legally responsible for import compliance. | International |
IPAFFS | Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System | UK import notification system. | UK |
LCL | Less than Container Load | Shared container shipment. | International |
LTL | Less Than Truck Load | Shared road freight. | International |
LUT | Letter of Undertaking | Indian GST export declaration. | India |
MAWB | Master Air Waybill | Primary air waybill issued by an airline. | International |
MRN | Movement Reference Number | The reference customs issues once a declaration is accepted, used to track the movement. | UK / EU |
MUCR | Master Unique Consignment Reference | Reference grouping UK export consignments | UK |
NCTS | New Computerised Transit System | The system used to open, manage and close transit movements under T1 and T2. | UK / EU |
Packing List | Packing List | Document listing shipment contents. | International |
PBN | Pre-Boarding Notification | The pre-boarding notification required for goods moving to or from the Republic of Ireland by ferry. | Ireland |
POD | Proof of Delivery | Confirmation goods have been delivered. | International |
POL | Port of Loading | Port where goods are loaded. | International |
PPF | Poste de Contrôle Frontalier | French Border Control Post. | France |
PVA | Postponed VAT Accounting | Method of accounting for UK import VAT on VAT Returns. | UK |
RDE | Représentation en Douane Enregistrée | Registered Customs Representative. | France |
RDEI | Représentation Directe en Douane Enregistrée | Direct customs representation. | France |
Reefer | Refrigerated Container | Temperature-controlled container. | International |
RGR | Returned Goods Relief | Relief from customs duty on eligible returned goods. | UK / EU |
RMS | Risk Management System | Indian customs risk assessment system. | India |
RoDTEP | Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products | Indian export incentive. | India |
Ro-Ro | Roll-on/Roll-off | Vehicle ferry transport. | International |
SAD | Single Administrative Document | Standard customs declaration document. | UK / EU |
SB | Shipping Bill | Indian export customs declaration. | India |
SCOMET | Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies | Indian export control list. | India |
SEZ | Special Economic Zone | Designated area with trade incentives. | India |
SIVEP | Border Inspection Service | French sanitary and phytosanitary inspection service. | France |
SOLAS | Safety of Life at Sea | International maritime safety convention. | International |
SPS | Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures | Rules protecting animal, plant and public health. | International |
T1 | External Union Transit | The transit procedure that moves non-Union goods across borders with duties suspended until they reach their destination. | UK / EU |
T2 | Internal Union Transit | The transit procedure for Union goods moving between or through customs territories. | UK / EU |
TARIC | Integrated Tariff of the European Union | EU tariff database. | EU |
TEU | Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit | 20-foot container measurement. | International |
Transit | Transit Procedure | Movement of goods under customs control. | International |
TVA | Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée | French VAT. | France |
UCC | Union Customs Code | EU customs legislation. | EU |
UKIMS | UK Internal Market Scheme | Scheme supporting qualifying movements within the UK Internal Market. | UK |
VAT | Value Added Tax | Consumption tax on goods and services. | UK / International |
VGM | Verified Gross Mass | Verified weight of a packed container. | International |
WCO | World Customs Organization | International customs standards organisation. | International |
Ready to Work with Us?
If you are in need of a reliable customs clearance partner who has extensive experience in clearing shipments between UK and France as well as across Europe, we would be glad to hear from you. We will be glad to assist you, whether it is an individual shipment or general customs issues that you wish to discuss.