PA – (See Particular Average)

 

PAIRED (Port of Arrival Immediate Release and Enforcement Determination) – A U.S. Customs program that allows entry documentation for an import shipment to be filed at one location, usually an inland city, while the merchandise is cleared by customs at the port of entry, normally a seaport. May be ineffective with certain types of high-risk cargoes, such as quota-regulated textiles or shipments from drug production regions. Cities where there is a natural flow of cargo are actually “paired” in the program; e.g., Atlanta, an inland city, is linked with Savannah, a seaport.

 

Pallet – A load-carrying platform to which loose cargo is secured before placing aboard the aircraft.

 

Paperless Release – Under ABI, certain commodities from low-risk countries not designated for examination may be released through an ABI-certified broker without the actual submission of documentation.

 

Part Charter – Where part of an airline’s scheduled flight is sold as if it were a charter in its own right. Often incorrectly used as a synonym for split charter.

 

Part Load Charter – Where a part of an aircraft’s load is discharged at one destination and a part of it at another. This is distinct from a split charter where a number of consignments are carried to the same destination. Inbound, part loads are treated as single entity charters under the regulations in most countries.

 

Particular Average (PA) – Partial loss or damage to goods.

 

Perils of the Sea – Fortuitous accidents or casualties peculiar to transportation on navigable water, such as sinking, collision of vessel, striking a submerged object, or encountering heavy weather or other unusual forces of nature.

 

Perishables – Any cargo that loses considerable value if it is delayed in transportation. This usually refers to fresh fruit and vegetables.

 

Phytosanitary Inspection Certificate – A certificate issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicating that a shipment has been inspected and is free of harmful pests and plant diseases.

 

Pilferage – As used in marine insurance policies, the term denotes petty thievery-the taking of small parts of a shipment-as opposed to the theft of a whole shipment or large unit. Many ordinary marine insurance policies do not cover against pilferage, and when this coverage is desired it must be added to the policy.

 

Pivot Weights – That weight of a ULD above which a higher tariff applies. In effect, it is an incentive to maximize cargo density.

 

Place – A particular street address or other designation of a factory, store, warehouse, place of business, private residence, construction camp, or the like at a point.

 

Place of Rest – This term, as used in the Containerized Cargo Rules, means the location of the floor, dock, platform, or doorway at the CFS to which cargo is first delivered by the shipper or agent thereof.

 

Point – A particular city, town, village, or other community or area which is treated as a unit for the application of rates.

 

Port Authority – A government body (city, county, or state) which in international shipping maintains various airports and/or ocean cargo pier facilities, transit sheds, loading equipment, or warehouses for air cargo. It has the power to levy dockage and wharfage charges, landing fees, and other costs.

 

Port Marks – An identifying set of letters, numbers, or geometric symbols followed by the name of the port of destination that are placed on export shipments. Foreign government requirements may be exceedingly strict in the matter of port marks.

 

Port of Discharge – A port where a vessel is off-loaded and cargo discharged.

 

Port of Entry – A port at which foreign goods are admitted into the receiving country.

 

Port of Loading – A port where cargo is loaded aboard the vessel, lashed, and stowed.

 

Power of Attorney – A document that authorizes a customs broker to sign all customs documents on behalf of an importer or exporter.

 

Prepaid Freight – Generally speaking, freight charges both in ocean and air transport may be either prepaid in the currency of the country of export or they may be billed collect for payment by the consignee in his local currency. On shipments to some countries, however, freight charges must be prepaid because of foreign exchange regulations of the country of import or rules of steamship companies or airlines.

 

Pre-Slung Cargo – Cargo shipped already in a cargo sling or net, such as coffee in bags or coconut shells. It is usually prepared and loaded at the pier, ready for the vessel’s arrival and subsequent loading.

 

Prima Facie – A Latin term frequently encountered in foreign trade that means “on first appearance.” When a steamship company issues a clean bill of lading, it acknowledges that the goods were received “in apparent good order and condition” and this is said by the courts to constitute prima facie evidence of the conditions of the containers; that is, if nothing to the contrary appears, it must be inferred that the cargo was in good condition when received by the carrier.

 

Proforma – When used with the title of a document, the term refers to an informal document presented in advance of the arrival or preparation of the required document, in order to satisfy a customs requirement.

 

Pro Number – A number assigned by the carrier to a single shipment, used in all cases where the shipment must be referred to.

 

Proof of Delivery (POD) – The delivery receipt copy of a freight bill indicating the name of the person who signed for a package with the date and time of delivery.

 

Protest – U.S. Customs Form 19 allows for a refund of an overpayment of duty if filed within 90 days of liquidation.

 

PW – Packed Weight.