# Contract of Affreightment

*Last updated: 2026-06-23*

> A contract of affreightment (CoA) commits a shipowner to carrying a defined cargo quantity between two ports at an agreed freight rate over a set period, without naming a specific vessel upfront.

A contract of affreightment (CoA) commits a shipowner to carrying a defined cargo quantity between two ports at an agreed freight rate over a set period, without naming a specific vessel upfront. The owner fulfils the obligation using whichever ships in its fleet are available – making CoAs a practical tool for managing capacity across multiple voyages. These contracts are most common in bulk and tanker trades, where high-volume, recurring flows justify long-term arrangements. Unlike a voyage charter, no single ship is fixed; unlike a time charter, the shipowner retains full operational control of each voyage. For shippers, the CoA delivers freight rate certainty without the administrative burden of renegotiating every shipment individually.

**Source:** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affreightment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affreightment)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Contract of Affreightment |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 113 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-23 |
| Source | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affreightment |

---

*Logistics Glossary — Freight Academy: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/contract-of-affreightment](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/contract-of-affreightment)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/glossary/en/contract-of-affreightment](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/glossary/en/contract-of-affreightment)*

*JSON summary: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/glossary/contract-of-affreightment/llm-summary?lang=en](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/glossary/contract-of-affreightment/llm-summary?lang=en)*