Glossary term

Perishable Cargo

Goods that deteriorate over time or outside a temperature range, requiring controlled conditions.

Cargo with a limited life or a required temperature range - fresh produce, chilled and frozen food, flowers, pharmaceuticals, some chemicals.

It concentrates several risks at once: transit time, equipment reliability, and clearance speed, since a delay in customs can destroy the goods rather than merely postpone them. Temperature records are usually the decisive evidence in a claim.