The “port code” in international shipping is a five-character code developed and assigned by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to uniquely identify all ports worldwide. It follows the UN/Locode system developed by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT). The first two characters represent the country or region code, and the last three characters represent the specific port or location. For example, the port code for the Port of Shanghai is CNSHA, where “CN” stands for China and “SHA” is the abbreviation for the Port of Shanghai.
A shipping order (SO) is a bill of lading issued by a shipping company or its agent to a shipper, instructing a terminal or yard to accept cargo for loading. The port code on the SO determines the destination of cargo because it specifies the port of loading and unloading.
In international shipping, ships plan their routes and ports of call based on the port code on the SO, and port personnel also use the port code to arrange cargo loading, unloading, and transportation. If the port code on the SO is incorrect, your shipment may be shipped to the wrong port, potentially leading to customs clearance delays, damage, or loss.
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