Carrier
The transport company that physically carries goods by sea, air, road, rail, courier, or another transport mode.
KEY TERMS
Glossary
Plain-language explanations of the sourcing, pricing, logistics, customs, and ACTS service terms used across this website.
Product group
A set of closely related products that can reasonably be researched, compared, and coordinated together within one sourcing scope. Three sizes of the same stainless-steel bottle may normally be one product group; stainless-steel bottles and insulated lunch bags would normally be two.
35 terms
Certification / conformity
Evidence, assessment, testing, or documentation used to show that a product or process meets specified standards or regulatory requirements. Requirements vary by product and destination.
Client approval
A clear decision or authorization from the client before ACTS or another actor proceeds with a consequential step such as selecting a supplier, accepting a quote, changing scope, booking freight, or making a payment.
Commercial invoice
A seller’s commercial document showing the buyer, seller, goods, quantities, prices, currency, and other transaction information used for payment, shipping, customs, and record-keeping.
Compliance requirement
A legal, technical, customs, safety, labeling, certification, registration, or other requirement that may apply to the product, shipment, importer, or transaction.
Customs broker / customs declarant
A customs professional or authorized service provider that prepares or submits customs declarations and supports customs-clearance formalities within its legal role.
Customs clearance
The process of completing the customs formalities required for imported goods to be released, including declarations, supporting documents, duties/taxes, inspections, or other controls where applicable.
Freight forwarder
A logistics company that arranges transportation and related shipment services. A freight forwarder may coordinate carriers, routing, documents, consolidation, and other logistics tasks, but its exact role depends on the service agreed.
Full Import Support
Broader ACTS coordination across multiple stages of an import project, from sourcing and supplier communication through documents, costs, shipment coordination, and final handoff within the confirmed scope.
Goods value
The supplier value of the goods before freight, customs duties, taxes, insurance, and other third-party costs. For Full Import Support, the 3% fee is calculated on this value.
HS code
The Harmonized System classification code used to classify goods for customs and trade purposes. Correct classification can affect duties, taxes, controls, and document requirements.
Human approval
The ACTS/client control step required before consequential external actions. AI or automation may assist with research, analysis, calculations, comparison, and drafts, but does not independently authorize payments, purchases, legal commitments, or external communications.
Importer of record
The person or entity legally responsible for the import entry and related obligations in the destination country. Under the current ACTS service model, ACTS is not the importer of record.
Incoterms
International trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce that help define responsibilities for delivery, transport, risk, and certain costs between seller and buyer. The exact Incoterm and named place should be confirmed in the commercial documents.
Inspection / quality control
A check performed by an independent inspection or quality-control provider to assess specified product, packaging, quantity, workmanship, or other agreed criteria. The scope and reliability of an inspection depend on the provider and instructions.
Landed cost
An estimate or calculation of the total cost of getting goods to the agreed destination point. Depending on the calculation, it may include product cost, freight, insurance, duties, taxes, broker fees, local transport, and other specified charges.
Lead time
The estimated time a supplier or service provider needs to prepare, produce, process, or dispatch the goods or service after the required conditions are met.
Material change
A change significant enough to affect cost, scope, timing, risk, or the work required. Where a material-change threshold is relevant, ACTS should seek fresh client approval before proceeding.
MOQ / Minimum Order Quantity
The minimum quantity a supplier is willing to sell under a particular offer or production arrangement.
Packing list
A shipment document describing how the goods are packed, typically including package counts, weights, dimensions, and contents. It supports logistics and customs handling but is not itself the commercial invoice.
Product group
A set of closely related products that can reasonably be researched, compared, and coordinated together within one sourcing scope. For example, three sizes of the same stainless-steel bottle may normally be one product group, while stainless-steel bottles and insulated lunch bags would normally be two separate product groups.
Product-group count
The number of distinct product groups included in a sourcing or coordination request. For Supplier Search Support, this is one of the main factors that affects the final fee because each additional group can require separate supplier research, RFQs, comparison, and follow-up.
Project pause
A temporary stop in active work. ACTS normally allows a project to remain paused for up to 30 days without a new ACTS fee; longer inactivity may require a readiness review before work restarts.
Project scope
The exact work ACTS agrees to perform for a project, including the products, quantities, countries, sourcing criteria, documents, comparisons, shipment tasks, exclusions, assumptions, and other agreed limits.
Reactivation
Restarting a paused or archived project. Depending on how long the project has been inactive, ACTS may need updated information, renewed checks, or a new quotation before continuing.
RFQ / Request for Quotation
A structured request sent to one or more suppliers asking for commercial information such as price, quantity, specifications, lead time, packaging, payment terms, and delivery terms.
Scope change
A meaningful change to the agreed project, such as changing the product, quantity, number of product groups, destination, sourcing criteria, logistics requirements, or compliance requirements. A material scope change may require a revised quote.
Service completion
The point at which the agreed ACTS work or milestone has been delivered or materially completed according to the confirmed scope. Third-party activities may continue beyond ACTS’s own completed work.
Service Confirmation / Quotation
The project-specific written ACTS document that confirms the exact scope, fee, payment schedule, timing, assumptions, exclusions, and other commercial details for a paid service.
Shipment Support
ACTS coordination support for moving an approved purchase toward shipment, including document follow-up, logistics coordination, and handoff to the relevant freight/customs actors.
Starter Review
ACTS’s structured first paid review, starting from 450 MAD, used to clarify a request, identify missing information or risks, and recommend the most suitable next step.
Supplier Search Support
ACTS support for identifying and comparing potential suppliers, preparing or coordinating RFQs, organizing responses, and building a clearer supplier shortlist. Pricing starts from 1,800 MAD and depends mainly on the number of product groups and project scope.
Supplier shortlist
A reduced list of supplier candidates that appear more suitable for the client’s requirements after initial research and comparison. A shortlist is not a guarantee that a supplier will ultimately be selected or approved.
Third-party cost
A cost charged by an independent provider rather than ACTS, such as a supplier, carrier, freight forwarder, broker, laboratory, inspector, certification body, insurer, bank, warehouse, or local transporter.
Third-party provider
An independent company or professional involved in part of the project. ACTS may coordinate with that provider, but the provider remains responsible for its own professional work and charges.
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