Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) are a set
of international sales terms widely used throughout the globe. Their
purpose is to clarify transaction costs and responsibilities between
buyer and seller and reflect standard transportation practices. They
are closely related to the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International
Sale of Goods.
• Group E - Departure:
EXW: Ex Works (designated
place): the seller makes the goods available at his premises.
• Group F - Main Carriage Unpaid:
FCA: Free Carrier (designated
place): the seller hands over the goods, cleared for export, into the
custody of the first carrier (named by the buyer) at the designated
place. This term is suitable for all modes of transport, including carriage
by air, rail, road, and containerized / multi-modal transport.
FAS: Free Alongside Ship (designated loading port):
the seller must place the goods alongside the ship at the designated
port. The seller must clear the goods for export; (this changed in the
2000 version of the Incoterms.) Suitable for maritime transport only.
FOB: Free On Board (designated loading port):an often-used
maritime trade term, Free On Board: seller must load the goods on board
the ship nominated by the buyer, cost and risk being divided at ship's
rail. The seller must clear the goods for export. Applicable to maritime
transport only.
• Group C - Main Carriage Paid:
CFR: Cost and Freight
(designated destination port): seller must pay the costs and freight
to bring the goods to the port of destination. However, risk is transferred
to the buyer once the goods have crossed the ship's rail. Applicable
to maritime transport only.
CIF: Cost, Insurance and Freight (designated destination
port): the same as CFR except that the seller must in addition procure
and pay for insurance for the buyer. Applicable to maritime transport
only.
CPT: Carriage Paid To (designated place of destination):
the general/containerized/multimodal equivalent of CFR. The seller pays
for carriage to the designated point of destination, but the risk transfers
when the goods are handed over to the first carrier.
CIP: Carriage and Insurance Paid to (designated place
of destination): the containerized transport/multimodal equivalent of
CIF. Seller pays for carriage and insurance to the named destination
point, but risk transfers when the goods are handed over to the first
carrier.
CTO: Container Terminal Order.
• Group D - Arrival:
DAF: Delivered At Frontier
(designated place): It can be used when the goods are transported by
rail and road. The seller pays for transportation to the designated
place of delivery at the frontier. The buyer arranges for customs clearance
and pays for transportation from the frontier to his factory. The transfer
of risk occurs at the frontier.
DES: Delivered Ex Ship (designated port): Where goods
are delivered ex ship, the transfer of risk does not occur until the
ship has arrived at the designated port of destination, and the goods
are made available for unloading to the buyer. The seller pays the same
freight and insurance costs as he would under a CIF arrangement. Unlike
CFR and CIF terms, the seller has agreed to bear not just cost, but
also Risk and Title up to the arrival of the vessel at the designated
port. Costs for unloading the goods and any duties, taxes, etc. are
for the Buyer. A commonly used term in shipping bulk commodities, such
as coal, grain, and dry chemicals, and where the seller either owns
or has chartered their own vessel.
DEQ: Delivered Ex Quay (designated port): It means
the same as DES, but the transfer of risk does not occur until the goods
have been unloaded at the port of destination.
DDU: Delivered Duty Unpaid (designated destination
place): This means that the seller delivers the goods to the buyer to
the designated place of destination in the contract of sale. The goods
are not cleared for import or unloaded from any form of transport at
the place of destination. The buyer is responsible for the costs and
risks for the unloading, duty and any subsequent delivery beyond the
place of destination. However, if the buyer wants the seller to bear
cost and risks associated with the import clearance, duty, unloading
and subsequent delivery beyond the place of destination, then this all
needs to be explicitly agreed on in the contract of sale.
DDP: Delivered Duty Paid (designated destination place):
It means that the seller pays for all transportation costs and bears
all risk until the goods have been delivered and also pays the duty.
Often used interchangeably with the term "Free Domicile".
Responsibilities of the Seller
With regards to the terms below, "Yes" indicates that the seller has the responsibility to provide the service included in the price. "No" indicates it is the buyer's responsibility. If insurance is not included in the term (for example, CFR) then insurance for the transport is the responsibility of the buyer.
|
Load to truck |
Export- duty payment |
Transport to exporter's port |
Unload from truck at the origin's port |
Landing charges at origin's port |
Transport to import's port |
Landing charges at importer's port |
Unload onto trucks from the importers' port |
Transport to destination |
Insurance |
Entry -Customs clearance |
Entry -Taxation |
| EXW |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| FCA |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| FAS |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| FOB |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| CFR |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| CIF |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
| CPT |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| CIP |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
| DAF |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
| DES |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
N. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
| DEQ |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
Y. |
N. |
N. |
| DDU |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
N. |
| DDP |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
Y. |
|