Shipping terms
Incoterms 2020 — who pays for what
The eleven international trade terms, side by side. Pick a term to see exactly where the seller's responsibility ends and the buyer's begins — and where risk transfers.
Any transport mode
Sea / inland waterway only
Transport modes
Road
Rail
Sea
Air
Seller's obligations
Buyer's obligations
seller — cost
buyer — cost
risk transfers
All eleven terms
| Term | Name | Pack | Load | Export | Freight | Insure | Unload | Import | Duties | Risk passes to buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Ex Works | S | B | B | B | – | B | B | B | seller's premises |
| FCA | Free Carrier | S | S | S | B | – | B | B | B | handover to carrier |
| CPT | Carriage Paid To | S | S | S | S | – | B | B | B | first carrier (origin) |
| CIP | Carriage & Insurance Paid To | S | S | S | S | S | B | B | B | first carrier (origin) |
| DAP | Delivered at Place | S | S | S | S | – | B | B | B | arrival, ready to unload |
| DPU | Delivered at Place Unloaded | S | S | S | S | – | S | B | B | after unloading |
| DDP | Delivered Duty Paid | S | S | S | S | – | B | S | S | arrival, ready to unload |
| FAS | Free Alongside Ship | S | S | S | B | – | B | B | B | alongside ship (origin) |
| FOB | Free on Board | S | S | S | B | – | B | B | B | on board (origin) |
| CFR | Cost & Freight | S | S | S | S | – | B | B | B | on board (origin) |
| CIF | Cost, Insurance & Freight | S | S | S | S | S | B | B | B | on board (origin) |
E — EXWDeparture term. Minimum seller obligation.
F — FCA · FAS · FOBSeller hands off to the carrier; buyer pays the main freight.
C — CPT · CIP · CFR · CIFSeller pays main freight, but risk passes at origin — cost and risk split.
D — DAP · DPU · DDPSeller delivers at destination. Maximum seller obligation.
Containerised cargo: use FCA / CPT / CIP rather than FOB / CFR / CIF. CycleCNC ships DAP across the EU, UK and Switzerland.
