Glossary

Importer of Record (IOR): The company that is the importing entity for the purpose of declaring cargo to US Customs. If this company is a US company, it must have a US employer identification number (EIN). For non-US importers, the importer of record must have a customs assigned number (CAIN). The Importer of Record (IOR) is liable for all customs duties, fees, and taxes, as well as any penalties imposed by US customs. The Importer of Record (IOR) details are to be provided during the onboarding process and cannot be changed during the subsequent booking process. You must also confirm that the Importer of Record (IOR) has an active US Customs Bond. 

Employer Identification Number (EIN): The federal tax identification number provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for businesses in the United States. 

Customs Assigned Importer Number (CAIN): The tax identification number provided by the IRS to non-US based companies that do not have an EIN.  

Shipper: The company and individuals responsible for handing the cargo to the shipping company.  

Consignee: The company and individuals the shipping company delivers cargo to. This is the company that owns the cargo upon arrival, but their name and address might not be the same as the delivery location. For these shipments, “Company name, c/o Walmart Fulfillment Services” is an acceptable consignee to use.  

Notify Party: A third company and contact person who should be notified about the arrival of the shipment. This is normally the import broker. 

Cargo Ready Date: The date when your items are ready to ship. This includes any quality checks, packing, labelling, counts weights and measures. We use this date to plan a vessel schedule that departs as soon as practicable after your cargo ready date.  

US Customs Broker: The licensed customs broker who will submit your import paperwork to US customs.  

UPS: Walmart’s Custom's clearance brokerage partner. 

HTS Code: Harmonized tariff schedule, a numeric classification of all products shipped between jurisdictions and declared to customs authorities.  We accept either the six-digit international tariff classification or the eight-digit US tariff classification code for your items to facilitate booking your cargo. Correct and true classification of imported items is the responsibility of the Importer of Record.  

Negotiated Rate Arrangement (NRA): The US Federal Maritime commission regulates the sale and arrangement of ocean freight to the US and requires that all rates and service levels are documented in: 

• A publicly available rules tariff of terms and conditions. WMSC Logistics Services, LLC’s tariff is published with DPI. 

• A privately agreed Negotiated Rate Agreement (NRA) or negotiated service arrangement (NSA). 

WMSC Logistics Services, LLC’s Negotiated Rate Agreements (NRAs) for shipments to WFS because these documents provide standard, predicable prices and terms, with relative flexibility compared to NSAs. The application of the actual rate is based on the date of delivery for the full container back to the port of loading. If the gate-in date is after the expiration of the NRA, an amended NRA needs to be issued or active tariff rates will apply at the time of shipment. 

NRAs are considered accepted and agreed to when a shipment is booked, and that rate is guaranteed if you ship the agreed quantity on the agreed route prior to NRA expiration. If you need more time after NRA expiration, you’ll need to accept the amended NRA prior to cargo gate-in at port or receipt at CFS. Shipping without a valid NRA could require your shipments to be charged tariff rates.