Glossary of used car export terms

Term	Definition
FOBFree On Board	Seller delivers goods on board the vessel; buyer assumes risk and cost from that point. Most common Incoterm for our exports.
CIFCost, Insurance & Freight	Seller pays freight + insurance to destination port; risk transfers when goods board the vessel.
CFRCost & Freight	Like CIF but without insurance. Buyer arranges their own marine insurance.
EXWEx Works	Seller hands over at their premises; buyer handles all transport and export formalities.
DAPDelivered At Place	Seller delivers to a named destination ready for unloading; buyer clears import.
CCICChina Certification & Inspection Group	State-licensed third-party inspection body. Pre-export reports recognised by customs in 100+ countries.
SOHState of Health	EV battery capacity remaining as a percentage of factory-new. 80%+ at delivery is the industry benchmark.
B/LBill of Lading	Carrier-issued shipping document acting as receipt, contract and title to goods. Original must be presented to release cargo at destination.
COCertificate of Origin	Document declaring the country where goods were manufactured. Form A and Form E enable preferential tariff rates under free trade agreements.
L/CLetter of Credit	Bank-guaranteed payment instrument used in higher-value international trade. Releases funds against documentary proof of shipment.
T/TTelegraphic Transfer	Standard SWIFT bank wire — fastest and most common payment method between B2B trade partners.
MOFCOMMinistry of Commerce, PRC	Chinese government body regulating foreign trade. Issues export licences required for vehicle commercial invoices.
GCC specsGulf Cooperation Council specifications	Vehicle standards (extra cooling, dust filtration, A/C performance) required for sale in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar.
EAEUEurasian Economic Union	Customs union of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia. Single set of vehicle technical regulations and tariffs.
KEBSKenya Bureau of Standards	Mandatory pre-export verification of conformity for vehicles bound for Kenya. Done by partner agencies in China.
SONCAPStandards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme	Nigerian pre-shipment inspection scheme. Vehicles must hold a SONCAP certificate at customs.
Ro-RoRoll-on / Roll-off	Shipping method where vehicles drive on and off the vessel. Cheaper than containers but less protection.
40HC40-foot High-Cube container	Standard sea freight container, 12.2 m × 2.4 m × 2.7 m. Fits 4 sedans or 3 SUVs lashed.
IICLInstitute of International Container Lessors	Industry standard for container handling, inspection and lashing. We load to IICL standards.
OBDOn-Board Diagnostics	Standardised vehicle diagnostic protocol. Used during CCIC inspection to read fault codes and EV battery state.
BMSBattery Management System	EV battery controller. Tracks SOC/SOH and balances cell voltages. Re-calibration sometimes needed after shipping.
VINVehicle Identification Number	Unique 17-character identifier. We verify against engine number and registration documents during inspection.
NEVNew Energy Vehicle	Chinese policy term covering BEVs, PHEVs and EREVs. Subject to special import incentives in many destination countries.
EREVExtended-Range Electric Vehicle	Hybrid where the petrol engine acts only as a generator for the battery. Popular Chinese architecture (Li Auto, AITO).
PHEVPlug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle	Hybrid with a chargeable battery and an internal combustion engine. Typical electric-only range 50–200 km.
DMIDual Mode Intelligent	BYD's PHEV powertrain architecture. Used across the Song, Qin, Han and Tang ranges.