BALTIME
Time charter party
Bank Guarantee
Guarantee issued by a bank to a carrier to be used in lieu of lost or misplaced original negotiable bill of lading.
Bareboat
Method of chartering of the ship leaving the charterer with almost all the responsibilities of the owner.
Bareboat Charter
Bareboat Charter Owners lease a specific ship and control its technical management and commercial operations only
Barge
A flatbottom boat for transporting freight that is generally unpowered and towed or pushed by other craft
Barge Carrier
A cargo vessel arranged for the carriage of purpose built barges (lighters) loaded with cargo. Typically loading is by way of a gantry crane. Also known as Lighter Aboard SHip vessels (LASH)
Barge Carrier, semi submersible
A barge carrier which is semi submersible for the float on loading/unloading of the barges
Barge Carriers
Ships designed to carry barges; some are fitted to act as full container- ships and can carry a varying number of barges and containers at the same time. At pres- ent this class includes two types of vessels LASH and Sea-Bee.
Barge lots
Quantities of petroleum product accommodated in the sizes of barges in common use in a particular area. This term usually applies to small (less than cargo-size) volumes of product intended for regional distribution. On the US Gulf Coast, for instance, petroleum products barges typically range from 10,000 to 50,000 barrels. On the Rhine, barges typically carry lots as large as 1,000 tons.
BARRATRY
Fraudulent of Master/Crew against ship/cargo
Barrel (BBL)
Common unit of measurement of liquids in the petroleum industry that equals 42 U.S. standard gallons or 35 imperial gallons.
Base chemicals
A group of chemicals produced in bulk from raw materials such as oil, gas and coal. Other chemicals are derived from base chemicals
Base Oils
See Lubricating Oils.
Base Rate
A tariff term referring to ocean rate less accessorial charges, or simply the base tariff rate.
Base stock
A hydrocarbon mixture which makes up much of the volume of a gasoline blend. Usually such stocks have properties not too far removed from finished fuel because the minor components have to bring the entire blend within accepted limits of gasoline quality. Base stocks in today's US motor gasoline include cat gasoline, reformate, and alkylate.
BAT
Best Available Techniques. The EU Directive (96/61 EC) on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) allows local authorities to grant environmental permits to process industries, including new and existing petrochemical and chemical installations. The final permit sets Emission Limit Values (ELVs) that are defined on the basis of the Best Available Techniques (BAT). These BATs are a reference point against which to judge the current performance of an existing installation or to judge a proposal for a new installation. They result from an exchange of information between the European Commission, member states, industry and NGOs.
BB
Ballast bonus, Bar bound, Back to back, Breakbulk, Bareboat, Below bridges, Bulbous bow, Bill book, Bahia Blanca
BC
Bulk Carrier or British Columbia or British Channel
BCH
Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IMO)
BCM
Bow to Center Manifold
BCO
Beneficial Cargo Owner: Refers to the importer of record, who physically takes possession of cargo at destination and does not act as a third party in the movement of such goods.
BDI
Both dates (days) Included
BDR
Bunker Delivery Receipt: The purpose of the Bunker Delivery Receipt (BDR) is to record what has been transferred. Various factors are recorded including: (a) Location and time of transfer, (b) Details of product delivered, (c) Details of product delivered (d) Temperature of product delivered (e) Temperature of product delivered (f) Product density at standard reference temperature (g) Product density at standard reference temperature (h) Sample seal numbers
BE
Benzene or Both ends ( Load and discharge ports)
Beam
The breadth of a ship at its widest point
Bear Down
To sail downwind rapidly towards another ship or landmark.
BEAUFORT
A measure of wind speed
Beer Tanker
A tanker for the bulk carriage of beer
Belt Line
A switching railroad operating within a commercial area.
Beneficial Owner
The registered owner of a vessel who can charter the vessel out to others (a) Entity to whom money is payable (b)The entity for whom a letter of credit is issued (c) The seller and the drawer of a draft.
BENELUX
Belguim, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
Benzene
Benzene is the simplest aromatic compound, with a ring of six carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms. It is a colorless liquid occurring naturally in fossil raw materials such as crude oil and coal, produced during processing of petroleum liquids and through chemical reactions. It is one of the most important feedstocks for the chemical industry, used for the manufacture of a wide range of everyday items, and is not itself used directly by consumers.
Benzene Ring
6 carbon atoms in the form of a ring structure with a hydrogen atom attached to each carbon and is the basic building block of all aromatic chemicals
Berth
BERTH shall mean the specific place where the Vessel is to load or discharge and shall include, but not be limited to, any wharf, anchorage, offshore facility or other location used for that purpose.
Berth Terms
Shipped under rate that includes cost from end of ship’s tackle at load port to end of ship’s tackle at discharge port.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
The devil seam was the curved seam in the deck planking closest to the side of the ship and next to the scupper gutters. If a sailor slipped on the deck, he could find himself between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Beyond
Used with reference to charges assessed for cargo movement past a line–haul terminating point.
BFC
Baltimore form C (charter party)
BHF
Bulk harmless fertilizers
BIA
Best Information Available
BIAC
Business and Industry Advisory Committee
BIBO or "Bulk In, Bags Out"
Bulkers are equipped to bag cargo as it is unloaded. The CHL Innovator, shown in the photo, is a BIBO bulker. In one hour, this ship can unload 300 tons of bulk sugar and package it into 50 kg sacks.
BIC
APPE Business Intelligence Committee. For more information, click here
BIFA
British International Freight Association
BIFFEX
Baltic International Freight Futures Exchange
Bilateral
A contract term meaning both parties agree to provide something for the other.
Bill of Exchange
In the United States, commonly known as a “Draft.” However, bill of exchange is the correct term.
Bill of Lading (B/L)
A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods. A legal document between the shipper of a particular good and the carrier detailing the type, quantity and destination of the good being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the good is delivered to the predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped goods, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper and receiver.
Bill of Lading
A document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods. A legal document between the shipper of a particular good and the carrier detailing the type, quantity and destination of the good being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the good is delivered to the predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped goods, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper and receiver.
B/L
A legal document between the shipper of a particular good and the carrier detailing the type, quantity and destination of the good being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the good is delivered to the predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped goods, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper and receiver.
BL
A legal document between the shipper of a particular good and the carrier detailing the type, quantity and destination of the good being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the good is delivered to the predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped goods, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper and receiver.
BOL
A legal document between the shipper of a particular good and the carrier detailing the type, quantity and destination of the good being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the good is delivered to the predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped goods, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper and receiver.
Bill of Lading Port of Discharge
Port where cargo is discharged from means of transport.
Bill of Sale
Confirms the transfer of ownership of certain goods to another person in return for money paid or loaned.
Bill to Party
Customer designated as party paying for services.
Billed Weight
The weight shown in a waybill and freight bill, i.e, the invoiced weight.
BIMCO
Baltic & International Maritime Council. From 16 to 18 February 1905, 112 distinguished gentlemen assembled in Copenhagen and formed what is today the world’s largest and most diverse private shipping organisation. BIMCO has come a long way since then an
Bioaccumulation
General term describing a process by which chemicals are taken up by aquatic organisms directly from water as well as through exposure through other routes, such as consumption of food or sediment containing the chemicals.
Bioconcentration
A process by which there is a net accumulation of a chemical directly from water into aquatic organisms resulting from simultaneous uptake (e.g., by gill or epithelial tissue) and elimination.
Bioconcentration factor
A term describing the degree to which a chemical can be concentrated in the tissues of an organism in the aquatic environment as a result of exposure to water-borne chemical. At steady state during the uptake phase of a bioconcentration test, the BCF is a value which is equal to the concentration of a chemical in one or more tissues of the exposed aquatic organisms divided by the average exposure water concentration of the chemical in the test.
Biodegradation
The transformation of a material resulting from the complex enzymatic action of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi). It usually leads to disappearance of the parent structure and to the formation of smaller chemical species, some of which are used for cell anabolism. Although typically used with reference to microbial activity, it may also refer to general metabolic breakdown of a substance by any living organism.
Biofuel
Biofuels are gas or liquid fuel (alcohols, ethers, esters, and other chemicals) made from plant material, agricultural and forestry residues, and a large portion of municipal solid and industrial waste. Biofuels include material as diverse as wood, wood waste, peat, wood sludge, agricultural waste, stray, sludge waste, municipal solid waste, landfill gases… Biofuels for transportation include bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethanol, and paralysis oils.
Biomagnification
Result of the processes of bioconcentration and bioaccumulation by which tissue concentrations of bioaccumulated chemicals increase as the chemical passes up through two or more trophic levels. The term implies an efficient transfer of chemical food to consumer, so that residue concentrations increase systematically from one trophic level to the next.
Biotechnology
The use of living organisms or other biological systems to develop food, drugs and other products.
BISCO
British Iron and Steel Corporation
Bitumen
Mineral pitch rich in asphaltenes and other complex, high-molecular-weight molecules. These mixtures of heavy hydrocarbons and resins form the base of, and impart adhesive, semi-solid consistency to asphalt cement and tar.
Bitumen Tank Barge, non propelled
A non propelled tank barge for the carriage of bitumen/asphalt
BK
Bank or Book or Backwardation or Bar keel
BLADING
Bill of lading or Bleeding (wing tanks)
Blanket Bond
A bond covering a group of persons, articles or properties. (a) A rate applicable to or from a group of points (b) A special rate applicable to several different articles in a single shipment.
Blanket Waybill
A waybill covering two or more consignments of freight.
BLC
Bank Confirmation Letter : Bank letter confirming that the account holder has certain funds available. Mostly used to verify that a buyer has sufficient funds for a given transaction.
Bleaching
This is a process whereby coloured pigments, impurities, trace metals, gums and oxidised materials are removed from oils and fats by adsorptive cleansing using bleaching clays and/or activated carbons. Bleaching is carried out on highly degummed oils, or acid pre-treated oil in the case of oils of naturally low gum contents, when these are to be physically refined. With alkali refining this stage is incorporated after the alkali refining, prior to deodorisation. Bleaching of edible oils and fats is generally carried out under a vacuum at 70-120°C, with agitation for a pre-determined length of time. The bleaching earth is then removed by filtration.
Bleaching Earth
Bleaching earths are montmorillonite clays which, in their natural state or after chemical or physical activation, have the capacity to adsorb colouring matters from oils. They are finely-crystalline silicates of aluminium and/or magnesium with variable amounts of lime, alkalis, iron and with a proportion of water of hydration. They are often subjected to various processes, mainly acid and heat treatment to enhance their adsorption capacity. When used with crude oils, they are capable of removing impurities, gums and coloured pigments present.
