Port Code Lookup (UN/LOCODE)
Decode the five-letter port codes on bookings and B/Ls — major container ports worldwide, identified instantly.
Format: 2-letter ISO country + 3-letter location. This covers the major container ports; the full UN/LOCODE list (100,000+ locations) is maintained by UNECE.
Type a code to identify it.
Sources & references
- UNECE — UN/LOCODE code list
- Carrier routing guides / port authority references
Reference data is provided for operational convenience and reflects common usage at the time of writing — verify regulated decisions against the official source (ICC, WCO, BIC, national customs).
INNSA, CNSHA, USLAX — the five-letter codes scattered across bookings, B/Ls and schedules are UN/LOCODEs: two letters of ISO country, three of location, maintained by the UN Economic Commission for Europe as the addressing system of world trade. Carriers, ports, customs systems and EDI messages all key on them; misreading one books cargo to the wrong continent. Type any code here and the port identifies itself with a one-line profile.
About Port Code Lookup (UN/LOCODE)
The lookup covers the container ports that carry the overwhelming share of global box traffic — the Chinese giants, the transshipment hubs (Singapore, Colombo, Salalah, Algeciras…), Europe's range ports, the Americas and the African gateways. The notes flag what matters operationally: which codes are umbrella entries versus specific terminals (CNSZX versus CNYTN matters on a Shenzhen booking), and which hubs are transshipment-first (where your cargo connects rather than clears). Two practical cautions the codes themselves don't show: a LOCODE names a location, not a terminal — USLAX contains seven container terminals with different storage tariffs and gate procedures, so the terminal name on your arrival notice matters as much as the port code; and city codes versus port codes diverge (Shenzhen bookings may name CNSZX, CNYTN or CNSK depending on the terminal area). When precision pays — drayage quotes, free-time rules — resolve the code one level deeper than the LOCODE.
How to use Port Code Lookup (UN/LOCODE)
- 1Type or paste the code — matching starts from the first few characters.
- 2The longest matching prefix wins, so the most specific identification is shown.
- 3Read the result card for the owner/meaning and any practical notes.
- 4Use the official-site link to continue (e.g., track the unit on the owner's page).
Why use Port Code Lookup (UN/LOCODE)?
- ✓Instant identification as you type — no database queries, no waiting
- ✓Longest-prefix matching picks the most specific answer
- ✓Direct links to the official source for the next step
- ✓Free and private — the code never leaves your browser
Frequently asked questions
What is a UN/LOCODE exactly?+
United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations: a five-character identifier (ISO country + 3-letter location) covering 100,000+ ports, airports and inland points, maintained by UNECE with twice-yearly updates. It's the location vocabulary of shipping EDI, customs systems and schedules — the same Shanghai is CNSHA to every carrier, which is the entire point.
Why does my booking show a different code than the port I expected?+
Usually a terminal-area or routing nuance: Shenzhen cargo books as Yantian (CNYTN) or Shekou by terminal; 'New York' cargo works in New Jersey; a Vietnam booking may show Cai Mep (VNCMT) though your factory is near Cat Lai (VNSGN). Sometimes it's transshipment: the code names where your cargo CONNECTS, with the destination deeper in the routing. Read the full routing string, not just the first code.
Are airport codes the same system?+
No — IATA's three-letter codes (BOM, LAX) are a separate system for air transport, though UN/LOCODEs cover airports too (a city's LOCODE often coexists with its IATA code). Ocean documentation uses LOCODEs; air waybills use IATA. The country-prefix structure makes LOCODEs self-locating in a way IATA codes aren't — USLAX wears its country, LAX doesn't.
Where do I look up a code that isn't here?+
UNECE publishes the full UN/LOCODE list free (searchable by country); carrier booking portals validate codes as you type; and port authority sites state their own. This lookup deliberately curates the majors for speed — if your code isn't matching here, it's likely a smaller port, an inland depot (dry ports have LOCODEs too) or a recent addition, all of which the UNECE master list resolves.
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