INCOTERMS 2000

WHAT ARE “INCOTERMS 2000″?

The International Chamber of Commerce established INCOTERMS to create a set of internationally accepted commercial terms. These terms define the rules of the buyer and seller in the arrangement of transportation and other responsibilities, and clarify when the ownership of the merchandise takes place.

Below is a listing of these trade terms, classified by category.

E – terms (Departure)
EXW – Ex Works (…named place) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when the goods are made available on his own premises (workshop, factory, warehouse, etc.). The buyer bears all the costs and risks involved in transporting the goods from the seller’s premises to the desired destination. This term represents the minimum obligation for the seller.
F – terms (Main Carriage Not Paid by Seller)
FCA – Free Carrier (…named place) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when he has delivered the goods, cleared for export, to the carrier nominated by the buyer at the named place. The buyer chooses the transport method and carrier. He pays for the main transport. Costs and risks are transferred at the moment the carrier takes charge of the goods.
FAS – Free Alongside Ship (… named port of shipment) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when the goods have been placed alongside a ship at the named port of shipment. The buyer bears all the costs and risks of loss of or damage to the goods. The FAS term requires the seller to clear the goods for export.
FOB – Free On Board (…named port of shipment) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when the goods pass the ship’s rail at the named port of shipment. The seller clears the goods for export. The buyer chooses the ship and pays the maritime shipping costs. Costs and risks are transferred when the goods pass the ship’s rail at the named port of shipment.

C – terms (Main Carriage Paid by Seller)
CFR – Cost and Freight (…named port of destination) – The seller must choose the ship and pay the costs and freight necessary to bring the goods to the named port of destination. The export formalities are the responsibility of the seller. Risks are transferred at the same point as for FOB.
CIF – Cost, Insurance and Freight (…named port of destination) – The seller is bound by the same obligations as for CFR, but must also procure marine insurance against the risk of loss of or damage to the goods during the carriage. The export formalities are the responsibility of the seller. The goods are carried by sea or inland waterway transport at the risk and perils of the buyer, at the moment when the goods pass the ship’s rail at the port of shipment.
CPT – Carriage Paid To (…named place of destination) – The seller chooses the transport method and pays the cost of carriage for the goods to the named destination. He also clears the goods for export. The risks transfer from the seller to the buyer at the point where the goods are delivered to the first carrier.
CIP – Carriage and Insurance Paid To (…named place of destination) – The seller is bound by the same obligations as for CPT, but must also procure insurance against the risk of loss of or damage to the goods during carriage. The seller clears the goods for export.
D – terms (Arrival)
DAF – Delivered At Frontier (…named place) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when the goods have been delivered, cleared for export and on the arriving means of transport not unloaded, at the named point and place on the frontier, but before the customs border of the adjacent country. Costs and risks are transferred on crossing the frontier. The buyer is responsible for import customs formalities and the payment of import customs duties and taxes.
DES – Delivered Ex Ship (…named port of destination) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer on board the ship not cleared for import at the named port of destination. The seller must bear all the costs and risks involved in bringing the goods to the named port of destination.
DEQ – Delivered Ex Quay (…named port of destination) – The seller has fulfilled his obligation to deliver when the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer not cleared for import on the quay at the named port of destination. The buyer clears the goods for importation. Costs and risks are transferred at the moment when the goods are discharged onto the quay at the named port.
DDU – Delivered Duty Unpaid (…named place of destination) – The seller delivers the goods to the buyer not cleared for import and not unloaded from any arriving means of transport at the named place of destination. The buyer bears the risks and costs of carrying out the import customs formalities and pays all import duties and taxes.
DDP – delivered Duty Paid (…named place of destination) – Whilst the EXW term represents the minimum obligation for the seller, DDP represents the maximum. The seller is responsible for everything, including import customs clearance and the payment of all applicable duties and taxes. Costs and risks are transferred at the moment of delivery to the buyer. The costs and risks of unloading are borne by the buyer.