INCOTERMS
The Incoterms rules or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that are widely used in International commercial transactions or procurement processes. A series of three-letter trade terms related to common contractual sales practices, the Incoterms rules are intended primarily to clearly communicate the tasks, costs, and risks associated with the transportation and delivery of goods. The Incoterms rules are accepted by governments, legal authorities, and practitioners worldwide for the interpretation of most commonly used terms in international trade. They are intended to reduce or remove altogether uncertainties arising from different interpretation of the rules in different countries. As such they are regularly incorporated into sales contracts[1] worldwide. First published in 1936, the Incoterms rules have been periodically updated, with the eighth version—Incoterms 2010—having been published on January 1, 2011. “Incoterms” is a registered trademark of the ICC. National Incoterms chambers. The eighth published set of pre-defined terms, Incoterms 2010 defines 11 rules, reducing the 13 used in Incoterms 2000 by introducing two new rules (“Delivered at Terminal”, DAT; “Delivered at Place”, DAP) that replace four rules of the prior version (“Delivered at Frontier”, DAF; “Delivered Ex Ship”, DES; “Delivered Ex Quay”, DEQ; “Delivered Duty Unpaid”, DDU).[2] In the prior version, the rules were divided into four categories, but the 11 pre-defined terms of Incoterms 2010 are subdivided into two categories based only on method of delivery. The larger group of seven rules applies regardless of the method of transport, with the smaller group of four being applicable only to sales that solely involve transportation over water.
EXW – Ex Works (named place of delivery)The seller makes the goods available at his/her premises. The buyer is responsible for uploading. This term places the maximum obligation on the buyer and minimum obligations on the seller. The Ex Works term is often used when making an initial quotation for the sale of goods without any costs included. EXW means that a buyer incurs the risks for bringing the goods to their final destination. The seller does not load the goods on collecting vehicles and does not clear them for export. If the seller does load the goods, he does so at buyer’s risk and cost. If parties wish seller to be responsible for the loading of the goods on departure and to bear the risk and all costs of such loading, this must be made clear by adding explicit wording to this effect in the contract of sale. CPT – Carriage Paid To (named place of destination)The seller pays for carriage. Risk transfers to buyer upon handing goods over to the first carrier at place of shipment in the country of Export. Buyer fully responsible for arranging carrier payment of freight for same Export clearance in Exporting country and Import clearance in Importing country, also respobsible for buy Insurance. CIP – Carriage and Insurance Paid to (named place of destination)The containerized transport/multimodal equivalent of CIF. Seller pays for carriage and insurance to the named destination point, but risk passes when the goods are handed over to the first carrier. DAT – Delivered at Terminal (named terminal at port or place of destination)The Seller delivers when the goods, once unloaded from the arriving means of transport, are placed at the Buyer’s disposal at a named terminal at the named port or place of destination. “Terminal” includes any place, whether covered or not, such as a quay, warehouse, container yard or road, rail or air cargo terminal. The Seller bears all risks involved in bringing the goods to and unloading them at the terminal at the named port or place of destination. DAP – Delivered at Place (named place of destination)Can be used for any transport mode, or where there is more than one transport mode. The seller is responsible for arranging carriage and for delivering the goods, ready for unloading from the arriving conveyance, at the named place. Duties is not paid under this term (An important difference from Delivered At Terminal DAT, where the seller is responsible for unloading.) DDP – Delivered Duty Paid (named place of destination)Seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the named place in the country of the buyer, and pays all costs in bringing the goods to the destination including import duties and taxes. The seller is not responsible for unloading. This term is often used in place of the non-Incoterm “Free In Store (FIS)”. This term places the maximum obligations on the seller and minimum obligations on the buyer. Sea and inland waterway transportTo determine if a location qualifies for these four rules, please refer to ‘United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE)’. [Link below] FAS – Free Alongside Ship (named port of shipment)The seller must place the goods alongside the ship at the named port. The seller must clear the goods for export. Suitable only for maritime transport but NOT for multimodal sea transport in containers (see Incoterms 2010, ICC publication 715). This term is typically used for heavy-lift or bulk cargo. FOB – Free on Board (named port of shipment)The buyer must advance government tax in the country of origin as commitment to load the goods on board a vessel designated by the buyer. Cost and risk are divided when the goods are actually on board of the vessel. The buyer must clear the goods for export because he did not pay for the goods in the country of origin. The term is applicable for maritime and inland waterway transport only but NOT for multimodal sea transport in containers (see Incoterms 2010, ICC publication 715). The seller must instruct the buyer the details of the vessel and the port where the goods are to be loaded, and there is no reference to, or provision for, the use of a carrier or forwarder. This term has been greatly misused over the last three decades ever since Incoterms 1980 explained that FCA should be used for container shipments. CFR – Cost and Freight (named port of destination)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 are loaded on the vessel. Insurance for the goods is NOT included. This term is formerly known as CNF (C&F, or C+F). CIF – Cost, Insurance and Freight (named port of destination)Exactly the same as CFR except that the seller must in addition procure and pay for the insurance. Maritime transport only. The seller responsibilities based on Incoterms 2010
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