Definitions, as published
The definition of each term exactly as its official source words it, with the article or page it comes from.
| Term slug | Definition text | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| seagoing-passenger-ship | Seagoing ship specifically designed to carry more than 12 passengers, with or without overnight passenger cabins. This category should be subdivided into: a) high-speed passenger ships meeting the requirements set out in the IMO HSC Code, paragraph 1.4.30; b) other passenger ships designed with one or more decks specifically for passenger transport; if there are no overnight passenger cabins, or no overnight passenger cabins where cabins are provided, they are sometimes referred to as ‘ferries’ (see E.II-12). | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-11, p. 109 |
| cruise-ship | Seagoing passenger ship on a voyage carrying passengers participating in a group programme and accommodated aboard, for the purpose of making scheduled temporary tourist visits at one or more different ports and that, during the voyage, does not normally: a) embark or disembark any other passengers; or b) load or discharge any cargo. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-11.1, p. 110 |
| ferry | Seagoing ship operating a maritime ferry service (see E.IV-05). | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-12, p. 110 |
| fishing-ship | Ship used for catching fish, whales, seals, walruses or other living resources of the sea. This category includes fish-catching and fish-processing ships. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-13, p. 110 |
| offshore-activities-ship | Ship used for offshore activities. This category includes drilling and exploration vessels and offshore support ships. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-14, p. 110 |
| tug | Ship designed for the towing and/or pushing of ships or other floating structures. Port tugs are included. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-15, p. 110 |
| miscellaneous-ship | This category includes dredgers, research/survey ships and other vessels. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-16, p. 110 |
| international-maritime-organization-imo-ship-identification-number | Permanent number assigned to each ship for identification purposes. The number will remain unchanged if the ship is transferred to another flag or flags and is recorded in the ship’s certificates. The IMO ship identification number is composed of the three letters ‘IMO’ followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Maritime (formerly known as Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay) when constructed. This is a unique seven-digit number that is assigned to propelled, seagoing merchant ships of 100 gross tonnage (GT) and above upon keel laying with the exception of the following: ʱ vessels solely engaged in fishing; ʱ ships without mechanical means of propulsion; ʱ pleasure yachts; ʱ ships engaged on special service (e.g. lightships, search and rescue vessels); ʱ hopper barges; ʱ hydrofoils and air cushion vehicles; ʱ floating docks and structures classified in a similar manner; ʱ ships of war and troopships; ʱ wooden ships. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-17, p. 110 |
| year-of-construction-of-seagoing-vessel | Year in which the construction of a seagoing vessel was completed. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-18, p. 111 |
| year-of-major-conversion-of-seagoing-vessel | Year in which a seagoing vessel last underwent a major modification or refit affecting its structure. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-19, p. 111 |
| nationality-of-registration-of-seagoing-vessel | The country and/or the territory authorising the registry of a seagoing vessel. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II.20, p. 111 |
| country-of-parent-ownership-of-seagoing-vessel | Nationality of the company holding a controlling interest in the direct owner. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-21, p. 111 |
| country-of-beneficial-owner-of-seagoing-vessel | Country of the ‘group beneficial owner’ used when the registered owner of a seagoing vessel is a bank or finance company. Refers to the organisation holding the controlling shipping interest in the vessel. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-22, p. 111 |
| seagoing-vessel-under-national-flag | Seagoing vessel that is registered in the reporting country. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-23, p. 111 |
| seagoing-vessel-under-foreign-flag | Seagoing vessel that is registered in a country other than the reporting country. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-24, p. 111 |
| merchant-fleet | Number of merchant ships of gross tonnage over 100 registered at a given date in a country. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-25, p. 111 |
| deadweight-tonnage-of-seagoing-vessel | Difference in tonnes between the displacement of a seagoing vessel on the summer load line in water with a specific gravity of 1.025 and the total weight of the vessel. This refers to the displacement in tonnes of a vessel without cargo, fuel, lubricating oil, ballast water, fresh water and drinking water in the tanks and usable supplies, as well as passengers, crew and their possessions. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-26, p. 111 |
| gross-tonnage-gt-of-seagoing-vessel | Measure of the size of a seagoing vessel, determined in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships (1969). GT is determined by the total volume of all enclosed spaces of the ship in cubic metres multiplied by a logarithmic factor. Prior to the adoption of the international convention, the Oslo Convention (1947) was in force, which produced substantially different figures for gross tonnage for some vessels. In some cases, the gross tonnage measure for a vessel is available only based on this earlier convention. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-27, p. 112 |
| automatic-identification-system-ais | A system to: ʱ automatically provide information, including the ship’s identity, type, position, course, speed, navigational status and other safety-related information, to appropriately equipped shore stations, other ships and aircraft; ʱ automatically receive such information from similarly fitted ships; ʱ monitor and track ships; ʱ exchange data with shore-based facilities. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-28, p. 112 |
| aid-to-navigation-aton | Device, system or service external to vessels, designed and operated to enhance safe and efficient navigation of individual vessels and/or vessel traffic. ## E.III. Maritime enterprises, investment and maintenance | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.II-29, p. 112 |
| transport-for-hire-and-reward | Carriage of persons or goods for remuneration on behalf of third parties. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-01, p. 112 |
| transport-on-own-account | Transport that is not for hire or reward. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-02, p. 112 |
| sea-transport-enterprise | Private or public enterprise carrying out, at one or more locations, activities for the supply of sea transport services. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-03, p. 112 |
| public-sea-transport-enterprise | Sea transport enterprise that is principally owned (more than 50 % of the capital) by the state or public authorities and their enterprises. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-04, p. 113 |
| port-authority | See C.III-03. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-05, p. 113 |
| seaport-enterprise | Enterprise providing seaport services at one or more locations. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-06, p. 113 |
| public-seaport-enterprise | Seaport that is principally owned (more than 50 % of the capital) by the state or public authorities and their enterprises. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-07, p. 113 |
| investment-expenditure-on-seaport-infrastructure | Capital expenditure on new construction (including new maritime ports) or extension of existing maritime ports, including reconstruction, renewal (major substitution work on the existing infrastructure which does not change its overall performance) and upgrades (major modification work improving the original performance or capacity of the infrastructure). | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-08, p. 113 |
| investment-expenditure-on-seagoing-vessels | Capital expenditure to purchase seagoing vessels or to upgrade existing ones. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-09, p. 113 |
| maintenance-expenditure-on-seaport-infrastructure | Non-capital expenditure to maintain the original condition and capacity of the existing port infrastructure and related equipment. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-10, p. 113 |
| maintenance-expenditure-on-seagoing-vessels | Non-capital expenditure to maintain seagoing vessels in working order without improving either their performance or their capacity. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-11, p. 113 |
| seaports-capital-stock | Estimated monetary value reflecting the current stock of physical maritime port infrastructure assets. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.III-12, p. 113 |
| sea-traffic | Movement of a seagoing vessel at sea. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-01, p. 114 |
| scheduled-sea-traffic | Traffic provided by a seagoing vessel that is scheduled and operated according to a published timetable and is sufficiently regular or frequent as to constitute a recognisably systematic series. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-02, p. 114 |
| unscheduled-sea-traffic | Sea traffic other than scheduled sea traffic. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-03, p. 114 |
| island-sea-service | Sea service between: ʱ a port situated on the mainland and a port situated on one or more islands within the same country; ʱ ports situated on different islands of the same country. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-04, p. 114 |
| maritime-ferry-service | Regular short-sea service between two ports, with or without intermediate calls. Such services operate: ʱ either according to a published timetable; ʱ or with crossings so regular or frequent that they constitute a recognisably systematic series. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-05, p. 114 |
| sea-trip | Sea traffic from a specified point of origin to a specified point of destination. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-06, p. 114 |
| sea-stage | Movement of a vessel directly from one port to another without a port call at an intermediate port. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-07, p. 114 |
| cargo-sea-trip | Sea trip involving movement of cargo between a place of loading or embarkation and a port of unloading or disembarkation. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-08, p. 114 |
| port-to-port-distance | Actual distance travelled. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-09, p. 114 |
| vessel-kilometre | See C.IV-09. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-10, p. 115 |
| tonne-kilometre-offered-by-a-merchant-ship | Tonne-kilometre offered when one tonne of the load capacity of a merchant ship travels over one kilometre. Tonne-kilometres offered equal the load capacity of the vessel multiplied by the port-to-port distance for all trips. Transport by barges is included. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-11, p. 115 |
| teu-kilometre-offered-by-sea | Movement of one TEU of total TEU capacity in a container ship over one kilometre. TEU-kilometres offered are equal to the TEU carrying capacity of the vessel multiplied by the port-to-port distance for all trips. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-12, p. 115 |
| sea-passenger-kilometre-offered | Passenger-kilometre offered when one unit of passenger capacity is sailed one kilometre. Passenger-kilometres offered are equal to the sum of the products obtained by multiplying the authorised passenger capacity of the vessel and the port-to-port distance for all journeys. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-13, p. 115 |
| port-call-by-a-merchant-ship | A merchant ship makes a port call when it anchors or berths to load and/or unload cargo, to embark and/or disembark passengers or to facilitate excursions by passengers. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-14, p. 115 |
| bunker-call | A cargo or passenger ship makes a bunker call when it anchors or berths in a port to take on bunker oil or supplies. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-15, p. 115 |
| arrival-of-merchant-ship | Arrival of a merchant ship making a port call. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-16, p. 115 |
| departure-of-merchant-ship | Departure of a merchant ship after making a port call. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-17, p. 115 |
| merchant-ship-laid-up | Condition in which a merchant ship is moored in port due to absence of employment or commercial activity. | Glossary for transport statistics, 6th edition (2026), E.IV-18, p. 115 |
Sources
- Glossary for Transport Statistics — 6th edition (2026) — Eurostat, UNECE ve ITF-OECD · Reusable with attribution
- UNCTADstat maritime/transport metadata — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) / UNCTADstat · Reusable with attribution
- IMO conventions and maritime definitions — official definition clauses and terminology pages — International Maritime Organization (IMO) · Reusable with attribution
- U.S. federal air cargo/security definitions associated with ICAO scope — International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); auxiliary U.S. federal regulatory sources · Public domain
- United States federal transport and customs definitions — GPO / Office of Federal Register / PHMSA-DOT / FMCSA-DOT / FMC / CBP-DHS / U.S. Congress · Public domain
- European Union transport and customs definitions — European Parliament and Council instruments; Publications Office of the EU / EUR-Lex · Reusable with attribution
- Hague–Visby Article I via UK legislation.gov.uk — UN Treaty Collection/UN, UNCITRAL, UNECE, ICAO, OTIF ve UK legislation.gov.uk · Reusable with attribution
- BTS/FMCSA/FMC/CBP/MARAD federal-authored glossary rows — BTS; FMCSA; FMC; CBP; MARAD · Public domain
- United Kingdom official transport and customs terms — HMRC; Department for Transport; Traffic Commissioners/DVSA; UK Parliament/legislation.gov.uk · Reusable with attribution
1,049 further records are on file but not shown, because the publisher's terms do not clearly allow them to be republished.