Delivered at Frontier (Named place)

A term used primarily for movement of shipments between contiguous countries. The Seller is to deliver the goods, cleared for export, assuming all risks and costs up to the named place at the frontier. The Buyer assumes all costs and risks at the named place at the frontier including import clearance.

Delivered Duty Paid (Named place of destination)

In this situation, the Seller is to deliver the goods assuming all costs and risks to the named place of destination (including duties and import clearance). The Buyer is to take delivery of the goods at the named place of destination upon clearance of the goods.

Delivered Duty Unpaid (Named place of destination)

The Seller is to deliver the goods assuming all costs and risks to the named place of destination (excluding duty and import clearance). The Buyer is to take delivery of the goods at the named place of destination and to assume all risks and costs (including import clearance and duties).

Delivered Ex Quay, Duty Paid (Named port of destination)

The Seller is to deliver the goods, cleared for import, assuming all costs and risks on the quay at the named port of destination including offloading and import clearance, duty paid. The Buyer is to take delivery of the goods and assume all costs and risks upon clearance of the goods.

Delivered Ex Ship (Named port of destination)

The Seller is to deliver the goods, uncleared for import, on board the vessel assuming all costs and risks up to the named port of destination. The Buyer is to take delivery of the goods at the named port of destination and arrange for offloading, import clearance and delivery to destination.

Delivery Instructions

Provides specific information to the inland carrier concerning the arrangement made by the forwarder to deliver the merchandise to the particular pier or steamship line. Not to be confused with Delivery Order which is used for import cargo.

Demurrage

Penalty for excess time taken for loading or unloading a vessel. Demurrage refers only to situations in which the charter or shipper, rather than the vessel’s operator, is a fault.

Deposit of Estimated Duties

This refers to antidumping duties which must be deposited upon entry of merchandise which is the subject of an antidumping duty order for each manufacturer, producer or exporter equal to the amount by which the foreign market value exceeds the United States price of the merchandise.

Direct Investment

Direct Investment is defined in the international Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payments Manual as “investment that is made to acquire a long lasting interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor, the investor’s purpose being to have an effective voice in the management of the enterprise.” In the United States, direct investment is defined for statistical purposes as the ownership or control, directly or indirectly, by one person of 10 percent or more of the voting securities of an incorporated business enterprise, or an equivalent interest in an unincorporated business enterprise. Direct investment transactions are not limited to transactions in voting securities. The percentage ownership of voting securities is used to determine if direct investment exists, but once it is determined that it does, all parent-affiliate transactions, including those not involving voting securities, are recorded under direct investment. See: Foreign Direct Investment in the United States

Destination Control Statement

Any of various statements which the U.S. Government requires to be displayed on export shipments (controlled), and which specify the destinations for which export of the shipment has been authorized.

Devaluation

The official lowering of the value of one country’s currency in terms of one or more foreign currencies. Thus, if the U.S. dollar is devalued in relation to the French franc, one dollar will “buy” lower francs than before.

Disclosure Meeting

An informal meeting in which the ITA discloses to parties to the proceeding the methodology used in determining the results of an antidumping investigation or administrative review.

Dismissal of Petition

A determination made by the International Trade Administration that the petition does not properly allege the basis on which antidumping duties may be imposed, does not contain information deemed reasonably available to the petitioner supporting the allegations, or is not filed by an appropriate interested party.

Dispatch

An amount paid by a vessel’s operator to a charterer if loading or unloading is completed in less time than stipulated in the charter party.

Distribution license

The distributipn license is a bulk license that allows the holder to make multiple exports of authorized commodities to foreign cosignees who are approved in advance by the Bureau of Export Administration. The procedure also authorizes approved foreign cosignees to reexport among themselves and to certain approved countries.

Distributor

A foreign intermediary who sells directly for a supplier and maintains an inventory of the supplier’s products.

District Export Councils (DEC)

DECs serve as a voluntary auxiliary of US&FCS district offices to support export expansion activities. There are 51 DECs with 1800 members that help with workshops and also provide counseling to less experienced exporters.

Diversionary Dumping

This occurs when foreign producers sell to a third country market at a less than fair value and the product is then further processed and shipped to another country.

Dock Receipt

A receipt issued by an ocean carrier to acknowledge receipt of a shipment at the carrier’s dock or warehouse facilities. Also see: Warehouse Receipt.

Documents Against Acceptance (DIA)

Instructions given by a shipper to a bank indicating that documents transferring title to goods should be delivered to the buyer (or drawee) only upon the buyer’s acceptance of the attached draft.

Documents Against Payment (D/P)

Instructions given by a shipper to a bank indicating that documents transferring title to goods should be delivered to the buyer (or drawee) only upon the buyer’s payment of the attached draft.

Domestic Exports

Exports of domestic merchandise include commodities that are grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States. Also commodities of foreign origin that have been changed in the United States, including U.S. Foreign Trade Zones, from the form in which they were imported, or which have been enhanced in value by further manufacture in the United States.

Domestic International Sales Corporation

The predecessor of the Foreign Sales Corporation that took on a new definition as a result of the 1984 Tax Reform Act. DISCs can now provide a tax deferral on up to S 10 million of exports so long as the funds remain in export-related investments.

Domicile

The place where a draft acceptance is made payable.

Downstream Dumping

This occurs when foreign producers sell at below cost to a producer in its domestic market and the product is then further processed and shipped to another country.

Draft (or Bill of Exchange)

An unconditional order in writing from one person (the drawer) to another (the drawee), directing the drawee to pay a specified amount to a named payee at a fixed or determinable future date.

Drawback

A refund of duties paid on imported goods which is provided at the time of their reexportation.

Drawback System

The Drawback System, a part of Customs’ Automated Commercial System, provides the means for processing and tracking drawback claims.

Drawee

The individual or firm on whom a draft is drawn and who owes the indicated amount. Compare: Drawer. Also see: Draft.

Drawer

The individual or firm that issues or signs a draft, and thus, stands to receive payment of the indicated amount from the drawee. Compare: Drawee. Also see: Draft.

Dual Pricing

The selling of identical products in different markets for different prices. This often reflects dumping practices.

Dumping

Importing merchandise into a country (e.g., the United States) at low prices that are detrimental to local producers of the same kind of merchandise.

Dumping Margin

The amount by which the imported merchandise is sold in the United States below the home market or third country price or the constructed value (that is, less than its “fair value”). For example, if the U.S. “purchase price” is $200 and the fair value is $220, the dumping margin is $20. This margin is expressed as a percentage of the United States price. In this example, the margin is 10 percent. o Duty A tax imposed on imports by the customs authority of a country. Duties are generally based on the value of the goods (ad valorem duties), some other factor such as weight or quantity (specific duties), or a combination of value and other factors (compound duties).

The Eastern Europe Business Information Center

The Eastern Europe Business Information Center (EEBIC) is a Department of Commerce facility that was opened in January 1990 to provide information on trade and investment opportunities in Eastern Europe.

Economic Bulletin Board

The EBB is a personal computer-based economic bulletin board operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The EBB is an online source for trade leads and statistical releases from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Board, Department of the Treasury, and other Federal agencies.

Economic Officers

Embassy officials who analyze and report on macroeconomic trends and trade policies and their implications for U.S. policies and programs. Economic officers represent U.S. interests and arrange and participate in economic and commercial negotiations. See: Commercial Officers; Foreign Service

Economic Policy Council

The EPC was established by Executive Order in 1985 to address major trade policy issues in a single forum as a means of reducing tensions between different groups, such as the Trade Policy Committee and the Senior Interagency Group. The Council was modified in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Membership includes the Treasury, (chair pro tem), State, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Transportation, the 0MB, the U.S. Trade Representative, the Council of Economic Advisers, and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.

Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce, and Transportation

EDIFACT is an international syntax used in the interchange of electronic data. Customs uses
EDIFACT to interchange data with the importing trade community.

Electronic License Application and Information Network

ELAiNE is a BXA 24-hour on-line service that allows exporters to submit license applications.

EMC See: Export Management Company.

Enabling Clause

Part I of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) framework which permits developed country members to give a more favorable treatment to developing countries and special treatment to the least developed countries, notwithstanding the most-favored-nation provisions of the GATT.

End-Use Codes

The HTSA and Schedule B classifications are summarized into six principal “end-use” categories and further subdivided into about 140 broad commodity groupings. The concept of end-use demand was developed for balance of payments purposes by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

End-user

The person abroad that receives and ultimately uses the exported or reexported items. The end- user is not a forwarding agent or intermediary, but may be the purchaser or ultimate consignee.

Enforced Compliance. See: Compliance Strategy.

Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative

EPCI is a series of measures to tighten export controls on goods and technologies useful in the production of chemical and missile weapons systems. EPCI allows Commerce greater authority to deny exports of low level goods and technologies to nation of proliferation concern.

Enterprise for the Americas Initiative

The EAT, which was launched in June 1990, is intended to develop a new economic relationship of the U.S. with Latin America. The EAT has trade investment, debt, and environment aspects. With regard to trade, the EM involves an effort to move towards free trade agreements with markets in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly with groups of countries that have associated for purposes of trade liberalization. To begin the process of creating a hemispheric free trade system, the U.S. seeks to enter into “framework” agreements on trade and investment with interested countries or groups of countries. These agreements set up intergovernmental councils to discuss and, where appropriate, to negotiate the removal of trade and investment barriers.

Entrepot

An intermediary storage facility where goods are kept temporarily for distribution within a country for reexport.

Entry Summary System

An entry is the minimum amount of documentation needed to secure the release of imported merchandise. The Entry Summary System, a part of Customs’ Automated Commercial System, contains data on release, summary rejection, collection liquidation, and extension or suspension.