The Alibaba.com Team

Drop shipping is a fulfillment method where the retailer transfers the customer orders to a supplier who handles the shipping and delivery.

Embargo limits or prohibits transportation and exchange of goods with a target location for political, security, or economic reasons.

Duty Drawback is a fiscal incentive in international trade that refunds customs duties, fees, or taxes on goods that are re-exported.

Reverse logistics is the process of managing the return of products and materials for value recovery or other operations related to the reuse of them.

A Through Bill of Lading (BOL) streamlines shipping by consolidating the transportation of goods across multiple phases & modes into a single document.

Landed cost covers all costs from procuring to shipping goods, including taxes and duties and is vital for setting competitive and profitable prices.

A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is an agreement between nations to reduce global trade barriers, fostering global economic integration & competitiveness.

The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is the U.S. Customs’ key digital tool for import/export e-filing, assuring compliance & expediting clearance.

Freight All Kinds (FAK) consolidates various goods into one shipment with a uniform rate, simplifying costs.

Cash on delivery (COD) means that a buyer pays for goods when they receive them from the carrier, often in cash or credit card.

A common carrier is a transportation service provider that serves the public for a fee and is liable for any loss or damage of goods during transit.

Cross-docking is a logistics technique that transfers goods from inbound transport to outbound transport with minimal storage or handling.

A consolidator is an entity that combines shipments from different shippers or locations into full container loads for economical & efficient freight.

Contract of carriage is a legal agreement between carrier and shipper for transporting goods under certain terms and conditions.

An export license is a government permit allowing the exportation of specified controlled goods, with the due diligence required from the exporters.