ETD and ETA (Estimated Time of Departure and Arrival)
The planned dates when a vessel, flight or train is expected to leave origin and reach destination, which often change in transit.
TL;DR: ETD is the expected departure date and ETA is the expected arrival date. Both are estimates, and they often shift because of weather, port congestion or schedule changes.
Carriers and forwarders publish ETD and ETA for each sailing, flight or train. When you book sea freight, the shipping order shows the vessel name, voyage number, ETD at the port of loading and ETA at the port of discharge. Cut-off times for cargo and documents are set a few days before the ETD.
Once the ship sails, the ETD is replaced by the actual time of departure, sometimes written ATD. ATA means actual time of arrival. The ETA usually gets updated along the way, so track the container number or bill of lading on the carrier’s website rather than relying on the first estimate.
Plan with a buffer. A delay at a transshipment port can push the ETA back by a week or more. Arrival at the port is also not the same as delivery, since import customs clearance and trucking take extra days. For a project with a fixed installation date, count backward from the date the tiles are needed on site, then add time for delays.
Around Chinese New Year and other peak periods, ports in South China such as Nansha and Yantian can be busy, and vessels may roll or skip calls. See Lead Time and Cut-off Time.