Tracking know-how
Port codes: reading UN/LOCODE at a glance
Five characters that name every port in the world, and the ambiguity they quietly remove.
Quick take
- Two letters for country, three for the place.
- Codes remove ambiguity between ports that share a name.
- Always confirm the code, not the city name, on booking documents.
Every booking, bill of lading and schedule uses these codes. They look like noise until you know the pattern, after which they are the fastest way to read a routing.
How to read one
The first two characters are the ISO country code. The remaining three identify the place within that country. So NLRTM is Netherlands, Rotterdam. TRIZM is Turkey, Izmir. CNSHA is China, Shanghai.
Why it matters
Place names repeat. There is a Portsmouth in England and one in the United States. There are several cities called Valencia. A booking that says the city name is ambiguous in a way that a code is not, and the cost of that ambiguity is a container discharged on the wrong continent.
It also matters for tracking. Carrier events carry the location as a code, so being able to read SGSIN as Singapore tells you instantly that your box is at a transshipment hub rather than approaching its destination.
See it on your own shipment
Paste a container number, bill of lading or booking reference. We detect the carrier across 170+ shipping lines, and when the data does not line up, a person checks it.
Codes you will meet
| Code | Port |
|---|---|
CNSHA | Shanghai |
SGSIN | Singapore |
NLRTM | Rotterdam |
DEHAM | Hamburg |
AEJEA | Jebel Ali |
USLAX | Los Angeles |
TRIZM | Izmir |
TRAMB | Ambarli |
When a booking document names a city without a code, ask for the code. It takes one message and removes a whole category of error.
Questions people ask
Who maintains the list?
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, updated periodically.
Do inland places have codes?
Yes. UN/LOCODE covers inland terminals and depots, not just seaports.
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