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This glossary covers the freight, trade-compliance, and AI-logistics terms you’ll encounter across the Chainomics platform — from proprietary indices like MPAI and PFPI to standard industry concepts like BOL, HTS, and FMCSA BASIC scores. Use it as a quick reference whenever a term needs a second look.

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Chainomics-Specific Terms

MPAI (Maritime Port Activity Index): A Chainomics proprietary composite score ranging from 0 to 100 that measures US port activity using 9 indicators sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) — including vessel calls, container throughput, dwell time, berth utilization, and rail-dray volumes. A 52-week rolling trim normalizes the score for seasonality. The index is updated weekly. An MPAI score above 70 signals congestion risk at major US ports. PFPI (Produce Freight Pressure Index): A Chainomics proprietary 0–100 score that predicts capacity tightening in produce-heavy freight corridors. The score is weighted 40% price velocity, 30% volume acceleration, and 30% movement-expectation signals from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) data, and is updated daily. A PFPI rising above 65 typically precedes truckload spot-rate spikes by 5–10 days. CBPSI (Cross-Border Produce Surge Index): A Chainomics proprietary 0–100 score that monitors US-Mexico produce gateway intensity at three major crossings: Nogales (AZ), Pharr (TX), and Otay Mesa (CA). The score is weighted 45% gateway volume, 30% seasonal deviation, and 25% convergence count from CBP commercial crossing data, and is updated daily. A high CBPSI correlates with longer commercial border wait times. SSI (Social Sentiment Index): A Chainomics proprietary score that aggregates Reddit sentiment for logistics companies twice daily. Chainomics monitors r/logistics, r/Truckers, r/freight, and r/supplychain, classifying each post as Bullish, Bearish, or Neutral and rolling the results into percentage breakdowns. Sentiment shifts tracked by the SSI often precede stock-price or operational news by 24–48 hours. Ask Ms. Z: The Chainomics AI assistant. Ms. Z is a natural-language copilot accessible from any page on the platform. She reads page-scoped context — so when you’re on the diesel pricing page, she answers questions about diesel — without requiring you to copy-paste data. Each turn costs 1 AI credit. A 5-question free trial is available on the landing page without signing in. Hermes View: The Chainomics 3D interactive globe, built on Three.js. Hermes View displays live risk overlays for weather, political events, port congestion, and labor strikes alongside geographic headline markers. Use the layer-control panel to toggle data sources or pop the globe into a full-screen browser window for deeper exploration. AI Credits: The platform currency consumed by AI-powered features. Ask Ms. Z costs 1 credit per turn; tariff scenario simulations cost 2 credits; autonomous agent runs are metered by the work performed. Users receive a monthly credit allowance on the free tier and earn additional credits by uploading data (CSV, PDF, or TMS sync), with tiers scaling from Bronze through Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

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Freight Market Terms

SCFI (Shanghai Containerized Freight Index): A weekly benchmark index that tracks container freight spot rates from Shanghai to 13 major global destination ports. The SCFI is the most-watched indicator for transpacific and Asia-Europe ocean freight pricing. BDI (Baltic Dry Index): A daily composite index that averages Capesize, Panamax, and Supramax vessel spot rates across major dry-bulk sea routes. The BDI measures the cost of shipping raw materials such as iron ore, coal, and grain, and is widely cited as a leading indicator of global trade activity and economic demand. OTRI (Outbound Tender Rejection Index): The percentage of contract truckload tender offers that carriers reject. A rising OTRI signals that spot rates are running above contract rates, indicating tighter capacity. An OTRI above 7% typically signals a tightening market; above 12% indicates major disruption. NTRI (National Truckload Rate Index): A daily benchmark for US dry-van truckload spot rates measured at the national scale. NTRI tracks per-mile spot rates across the dry-van market and, combined with OTRI and freight tender volume, gives shippers and brokers a real-time view of overall trucking market cycle conditions. TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit): The standard unit for measuring container cargo capacity. One TEU equals one standard 20-foot intermodal shipping container. A 40-foot container equals 2 TEU.

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Trade & Compliance Terms

HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule): The 10-digit classification code used to determine import duty rates, eligibility for trade-program benefits, and reporting requirements for every product imported into the United States. Misclassification triggers audits and penalty duties. Chainomics includes an AI-assisted HTS classification tool that suggests codes from product descriptions. USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement): The free-trade agreement that replaced NAFTA in 2020, governing preferential tariff treatment for goods traded between the US, Mexico, and Canada. To qualify for duty-free treatment, products must satisfy rules of origin including Regional Value Content thresholds, tariff-shift rules, and de minimis allowances. Chainomics’ USMCA Eligibility Wizard automates these calculations. RVC (Regional Value Content): The minimum percentage of a product’s value that must originate within USMCA territory for the product to qualify for duty-free preferential treatment. RVC is calculated using either the transaction-value method or the net-cost method. Most automotive and industrial categories require 60–75% RVC. Chainomics computes RVC dynamically as supplier costs change. BOL / Bill of Lading: The shipping document that serves simultaneously as a receipt for freight, a contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier, and a document of title for the goods. Chainomics’ Document Risk Scanner validates BOLs by checking address integrity, weight and quantity reconciliation, and required signature blocks. Section 301 Tariffs: Additional import duties imposed by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on goods from countries engaged in unfair trade practices, authorized under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The most active Section 301 actions target Chinese goods, with surcharges typically ranging from 7.5% to 25% on top of base HTS duties. Chainomics’ Tariff Impact Analyzer factors Section 301 surcharges into landed-cost calculations. Section 232 Tariffs: Additional import duties imposed for national security reasons under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The most prominent applications cover steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) imports. Section 232 surcharges stack on top of base HTS duties. De Minimis: The value threshold below which goods may be imported with reduced or no duties and minimal customs formalities. In the US, the de minimis threshold is $800 per shipment per day. USMCA also defines de minimis allowances for non-originating content in finished goods.

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Operations Terms

Dwell Time: The amount of time a container spends at a port between its arrival and its departure for onward transport. Elevated dwell time is a key component of the MPAI and a leading indicator of port congestion and downstream supply-chain delays. Berth Utilization: The percentage of available port berth capacity currently in use. High berth utilization, combined with long vessel queues, is a primary driver of port congestion scores in the MPAI. AIS (Automatic Identification System): The maritime vessel tracking system that commercial ships use to broadcast their position, speed, heading, and identity. All commercial vessels over 300 gross tons are required to broadcast AIS. Chainomics aggregates AIS feeds across the Pacific, Gulf, East Coast, Canada, Mexico, and Great Lakes for real-time ocean vessel tracking. FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration): The US Department of Transportation agency that regulates commercial motor vehicle safety. FMCSA assigns DOT and MC numbers, publishes safety scores, maintains the SAFER carrier database, and has authority to place unsafe carriers out of service. Chainomics integrates FMCSA data into carrier search and vetting workflows. BASIC Scores: The seven safety Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories that FMCSA uses to score motor carriers on a 0–100 percentile scale (lower is better): Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials (HazMat), and Crash Indicator. Scores above 65 in non-HazMat categories trigger FMCSA intervention. Chainomics displays all 7 BASIC scores in carrier profiles. 3PL (Third-Party Logistics): A company that provides outsourced logistics services on behalf of a shipper, typically including transportation management, warehousing, fulfillment, and customs brokerage. Chainomics serves 3PLs as a core user persona alongside shippers, brokers, carriers, and freight forwarders. Lane: A specific origin-destination pair for freight movement, such as Los Angeles to Chicago or Laredo to Dallas. Chainomics scopes disruption risk scores, freight indices, and agent alerts to the lanes relevant to your shipments. TMS (Transportation Management System): Software used by shippers and logistics providers to plan, execute, and optimize freight shipments. Chainomics integrates with 9 leading TMS platforms — McLeod, MercuryGate, TMW, BluJay, Oracle OTM, SAP TM, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, and Descartes — to enrich shipments with disruption intelligence and AI risk scores. Drayage: Short-haul trucking that moves containers between a marine terminal and a nearby inland warehouse or distribution center. Drayage capacity tightness is a leading indicator of port congestion and downstream supply-chain delays. Demurrage: A per-day fee charged by ocean carriers when containers remain at a port terminal beyond the agreed free-time window before pickup. Demurrage rates typically start at 150–150–300 per container per day and escalate. Monitoring port congestion on Chainomics helps importers time pickups before demurrage clocks start. Detention: A per-day fee charged by ocean carriers when their container equipment is held off-terminal — at a shipper’s or consignee’s facility — beyond the agreed free-time window. Detention typically starts after demurrage ends and runs 75–75–200 per container per day.