A place where vessel may receive or discharge cargo. A sea port is a facility to receive Water-borne vessels and to facilitate loading/unloading of cargo or embarkation/disembarkation of passengers on these vessels. The facilities by a sea port include berth/wharf/jetty, cargo handling equipment, storage area/godowns/warehouses/tanks, trucks, trailers etc for transit within the port, a harbor including a dock protection by breakwaters, a navigational channel, navigational buoys and other equipment, vessel traffic management system and dry dock/repair berth. In India there are two categories of ports. The 12 major ports are governed by the Indian Ports Act, 1908. In addition the State governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have set up their own State Maritime Boards for development and administration of their ports. The government owned ports work on a landlord-tenant model wherein all the services/assets are sub-contracted to tenants. The new facilities are also developed on a BOOT basis. Most of the private ports offer their own services and do not follow the landlord tenant model.

A Government Body (City, Country or State) which is international shipping maintains various airports and/or ocean cargo pier facilities, transit sheds, loading equipment warehouses for air cargo, etc. Has the power to levy dockage and wharfage charges, landing fees, etc.

An identifying set of letters numbers and/or geometric symbols followed by the name of the port of destination, which are placed on export shipments. Foreign government requirements may be exceedingly strict in the matter of port marks.

Port where vessel is off loaded and cargo discharges.

Port where cargo is loaded aboard the vessel lashed and stowed.