Sea cargo types
Reporters of Sea Cargo must identify the type of cargo that will be arriving as one of the following:
Full Container Load (FCL): A container/s loaded with goods for one consignee from one consignor. This can either be transported directly to the consignee or through a freight forwarder or agent. IF CLEAR, The Cargo Terminal Operator (CTO) can directly release these containers into home consumption in most cases.
Full Container with Multiple House Bills of Lading (FCX): a container where:
- all the contents are consigned to one consignee in Australia, and
- there are two or more consignments within the container/s.
If all consignments within the FCX are CLEAR, the CTO can directly release these containers into home consumption in most cases. If there are customs or biosecurity concerns with one or more of the consignments, we will hold all containers in the consignment until those concerns are resolved.
Less than Container Load (LCL): a consignment that does not occupy the full space available in the container. The consignment has been consolidated with one or more consignments in the container for at least two different consignees in Australia. This applies whether they are shipped on an FCL basis to a freight forwarder or an agent, or not. These containers need to be deconsolidated under customs control at a licensed customs premises.
Bulk: consignments of goods that conform to the shape of the vessel hold that the cargo is being transported in, and do not have any external packaging, for example, gas, grain or petroleum. Two or more bulk consignments may be carried by the ship. An example is where 100 million litres of crude oil may consist of two consignments for two different consignees, one of 80 million litres and the other of 20 million litres.
Break-bulk: a consignment of cargo being transported in a non-containerised manner. Most break bulk consignments consist of self-contained units/packages such as cars or timber packs.
