Glossary

General Average is Insurance loss or damage to a ship or its cargo that is shared among the ship owners and all the cargo owners. If goods are insured free of general average there would need to be a clause to that effect in the policy/certificate. See Average.

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was signed in 1947, is a multilateral agreement regulating trade among about 150 countries. According to its preamble, the purpose of the GATT is the substantial reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers and the elimination of preferences, on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis.

The Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] was established in an agreement concluded on 25 May 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. These countries declared that the GCC is established in view of the special relations between them, their similar political systems based on Islamic beliefs, joint destiny and common objectives. The GCC is a regional common market with a defence planning council as well. The geographic proximity of these countries and their general adoption of free trade economic policies are factors that encouraged them to establish the GCC.

At present, GOST standards include over 20,000 titles used extensively in conformity assessment activities in 12 countries. Serving as the regulatory basis for government and private-sector certification programs throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the GOST standards cover energy, oil and gas, environmental protection, construction, transportation, telecommunications, mining, food processing, and other industries. These can be obtained through SGS or Intertek.

Weight of goods including packaging.

Small consignments bulked together and consigned by a forwarder or carrier to reduce the individual cost of freight.

A full list of GSP countries can be found in the UK Tariff publication. Generally if goods are being imported from one of these countries the importer should ask for a GSP Certificate Form A or an EUR1. This will enable the importer to enter the goods into the EU at a lower rate of duty.