FAR 47.305-6—Shipments to ports and air terminals.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 47.305-6 tells contracting officers how to structure solicitations and evaluate offers when shipments involve ports, air terminals, export points, overseas destinations, or Defense Transportation System (DTS) movement. It covers the specific data offerors must provide for different delivery terms, including shipment schedules, quantities, lead times, port and pier information, vessel draft limits, package dimensions, container capacity, and marine insurance details. It also addresses how to identify CONUS ports of loading or exit for overseas shipments, when to allow or consider additional ports nominated by offerors, and when to include the Evaluation of Export Offers provision at FAR 52.247-51 with the proper alternate. For DTS shipments, it requires Transportation Control Movement Documents (TCMDs), Export Releases, and the clause at FAR 52.247-52 for shipments to DoD air or water terminal transshipment points. The section also limits or directs which ports may be listed in solicitations and requires award to reflect the U.S. ports of loading that provide the lowest overall cost to the overseas destination. In practice, this rule is about making transportation costs, carrier capability, export clearance, and delivery feasibility visible at the solicitation stage so the Government can evaluate offers fairly and avoid later shipping problems.
Key Rules
Delivery data by term
When supplies are bought under certain international delivery terms, the solicitation must require specific shipment data from offerors. The exact information depends on the term used, such as vessel loading details for port shipments, air-carrier data for air terminal shipments, container capacity for destination terms, and insurance details for CIF destination terms.
Port and exit point identification
For known overseas destinations with supplies originating in CONUS, the contracting officer must identify the CONUS port of loading or point of exit and the water port of debarkation that serves the destination. This gives offerors a common basis for transportation evaluation.
Additional ports may be considered
The contracting officer may list other CONUS ports that are compatible with the supplies, destination, carrier type, and delivery dates. This helps remote offerors compete on transportation cost rather than being locked into only the normally serving port.
Offeror-nominated ports
Unless logistics requirements restrict the ports to those listed, the solicitation must allow offerors to nominate additional ports, including ports in Alaska and Hawaii. Those ports must be evaluated if they have all the capabilities of the listed ports for the supplies being acquired.
Export offer evaluation provision
When supplies are exported through CONUS ports and offers are solicited on an FOB origin or FOB destination basis, the contracting officer must include FAR 52.247-51, using the correct alternate depending on whether DoD water terminals are involved and whether the solicitation is FOB origin only or FOB destination only.
DTS shipment requirements
If supplies will move in the Defense Transportation System, the contract must require a TCMD for shipments to DoD air or water terminal transshipment points and an Export Release for water-port transshipment to overseas destinations, except where an Export Release is not required under DoD rules.
DoD transshipment clause
When shipments are consigned to DoD air or water terminal transshipment points, the solicitation and contract must include FAR 52.247-52, Clearance and Documentation Requirements—Shipments to DoD Air or Water Terminal Transshipment Points.
Limit ports when no Export Release is needed
If a contract will not generate shipments requiring an Export Release, only the DoD CONUS ports serving the overseas destination should be listed, unless the contracting officer reasonably limits the water ports further to meet delivery or other requirements.
Award must reflect lowest overall cost
The award must specify the U.S. ports of loading that provide the lowest overall cost to the overseas destination. This ties the evaluation and award decision directly to transportation economics, not just product price.
Origins outside CONUS
When supplies originate outside CONUS and are destined within or outside CONUS, the contracting officer must use the appropriate FOB term and include evaluation factors appropriate to that sourcing and destination arrangement.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Must include the correct solicitation data requirements based on the delivery term; identify relevant CONUS ports of loading or exit and overseas debarkation ports; decide whether to list additional eligible ports; allow and evaluate nominated ports when permitted; insert FAR 52.247-51 with the proper alternate; insert FAR 52.247-52 when shipments go to DoD terminal transshipment points; limit ports when required by logistics or when no Export Release is needed; and ensure award specifies the ports of loading that yield the lowest overall cost.
Offeror
Must furnish the shipment, packaging, capacity, lead-time, port, draft, and insurance information required by the solicitation for the applicable delivery term. If the solicitation allows it, the offeror may nominate additional ports that are more favorably located to its shipping point and that have the required capabilities.
Agency/DoD Transportation Authorities
Must process TCMDs and Export Releases under DoD transportation rules for shipments moving through the Defense Transportation System and terminal transshipment points. They also determine whether an Export Release is required for a particular shipment.
Contracting Activity
Must ensure solicitations and contracts use the correct clauses and evaluation approach for export shipments, and must align transportation requirements with delivery needs, carrier capability, and destination-specific logistics.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about transportation evaluation, so the solicitation must collect enough information to compare offers on a true delivered-cost basis, not just unit price.
A common mistake is using the wrong FAR 52.247-51 alternate or omitting the clause entirely when export shipments are involved.
Another frequent pitfall is failing to identify or allow eligible alternate ports, which can unfairly disadvantage geographically remote offerors and distort competition.
For DoD-related shipments, missing TCMD or Export Release requirements can delay movement at the terminal and create compliance problems after award.
Contracting officers should verify that the listed ports actually have the capabilities needed for the commodity, carrier mode, shipment size, and delivery schedule; otherwise the evaluation may be unrealistic or the award may not be executable.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) When supplies are acquired on the basis of the delivery terms in 47.303-8 through 47.303-16 , the solicitation shall include a requirement that the offeror furnish the Government the following information: (1) When the delivery term is "f.a.s. vessel, port of shipment," "f.o.b. vessel, port of shipment," or "f.o.b. inland carrier, point of exportation," the required data shall include- (i) A delivery schedule in number of units and/or long or short tons; (ii) Maximum quantities available per shipment; (iii) The quantity that can be made available for loading to vessel per running day of 24 hours (if acquisition involves a commodity to be shipped in bulk); (iv) The minimum leadtime required to make supplies available for loading to vessel; and (v) The port and pier or other designation and, when applicable, the maximum draft of vessel (in feet) that can be accommodated. (2) When the delivery term is: f.o.b. inland point, country of importation" or "f.o.b. designated air carrier’s terminal, point of importation," the required data shall include- (i) A delivery schedule in number of units and/or long or short tons; (ii) Maximum quantities available per shipment; and (iii) Other data appropriate to shipment by air carrier. (3) When the delivery term is "ex dock, pier or warehouse, port of importation" or "c.&f. (cost & freight) destination," the required data shall include- (i) A delivery schedule in number of units and/or long or short tons; (ii) Maximum quantities available per shipment; and (iii) The number of containers or units that can be loaded in a car, truck, or other conveyance of the size normally used (specify type and size) for the commodity. (4) When the delivery term is "c.i.f. (cost, insurance, freight) destination," the required data shall include- (i) The same as specified in 47.305-6 (a)(3); and (ii) The amount and type of marine insurance coverage; e.g., whether the coverage is "With Average" or "Free of Particular Average" and whether it covers any special risks or excludes any of the usual risks associated with the specific commodity involved. (5) When the delivery term is "f.o.b. designated air carrier’s terminal, point of exportation," the required data shall include- (i) A delivery schedule number of units, type of package, and individual weight and dimensions of each package; (ii) Minimum leadtime required to make supplies available for loading into aircraft; (iii) Name of airport and location to which shipment will be delivered; and (iv) Other data appropriate to shipment by air carrier. (b) When supplies are acquired for known destinations outside CONUS and originate within CONUS, the contracting officer shall, for transportation evaluation purposes, note in the solicitation the CONUS port of loading or point of exit (aerial or water) and the water port of debarkation that serves the overseas destination. (c) The contracting officer may also, for evaluation purposes, list in the solicitation other CONUS ports that meet the eligibility criteria compatible with the nature and quantity of the supplies, their destination, type of carrier required, and specified overseas delivery dates. This permits offerors that are geographically remote from the port that normally serves the overseas destination to be competitive as far as transportation costs are concerned. (d) Unless logistics requirements limit the ports of loading to the ports listed in the solicitation, the solicitation shall state that- (1) Offerors may nominate additional ports (including ports in Alaska and Hawaii) more favorably located to their shipping points; and (2) These ports will be considered in the evaluation of offers if they possess all requisite capabilities of the listed ports in relation to the supplies being acquired. (e) When supplies are to be exported through CONUS ports and offers are solicited on an f.o.b. origin or f.o.b. destination basis, the contracting officer shall insert in solicitations the provision at 52.247-51 , Evaluation of Export Offers. The contracting officer shall use the provision with its- (1) AlternateI, when the CONUS ports of export are DoD water terminals; (2) AlternateII, when offers are solicited on an f.o. b. origin only basis; or (3) AlternateIII, when offers are solicited on an f.o.b. destination only basis. (f) (1) When the supplies are to move in the Defense Transportation System (DTS) (see 47.301-3 ), the contract shall specify that- (i) A Transportation Control Movement Document (TCMD) must be dispatched to the appropriate DoD air or water clearance authority in accordance with DoD 4500.9-R, Defense Transportation Regulation, Part II, procedures for all shipments consigned to DoD air or water terminal transshipment points; and (ii) An Export Release must be obtained for supplies to be transshipped via a water port of loading to overseas destinations, except for shipments for which an Export Release is not required, generally shipments of less than 10,000 pounds, (see DoD 4500.9-R, Defense Transportation Regulation, Part II). (2) When shipments will be consigned to DoD air or water terminal transshipment points, the contracting officer shall insert in solicitations and contracts the clause at 52.247-52 , Clearance and Documentation Requirements-Shipments to DoD Air or Water Terminal Transshipment Points. (g) When a contract will not generate any shipments that require an Export Release, only the DoD CONUS ports that serve the overseas destination shall be listed in the solicitation, except that the responsible contracting officer may limit the water ports listed when such limitation is considered necessary to meet delivery or other requirements. (h) The award shall specify the United States ports of loading that afford the lowest overall cost to the overseas destination. (i) When supplies will be from origins outside CONUS to destinations either within or outside CONUS, the contracting officer shall use the appropriate f.o.b. term and include evaluation-of-offers information. (j) In furtherance of the Cargo Preference Act of1954 ( 46 U.S.C. 1241(b) ), to encourage and foster the American Merchant Marine, the port of delivery of supplies originating outside the United States and shipped by ocean vessel shall be based on the availability of United States-flag vessels between the ports involved, unless the acquiring activity has given other specific instructions. (See subpart 47.5 -Ocean Transportation by U.S.-Flag Vessels.) (k) For application of the Fly America Act to the transportation of supplies and personnel when the Government is responsible for the transportation costs, see subpart 47.4 -Air Transportation by U.S.-Flag Carriers. (l) Military and civilian agencies shall obtain assistance from transportation offices in connection with all export shipments (see 47.105 ).