Incoterms 2000, International Chamber of Commerce official rules for the interpretation of trade terms.


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Below listed mode of transport terms will be explained:
CFR Cost and Freight (named port of destination)
CIF Cost, insurance and freight (named port of destination)
CIP Carriage and insurance paid to (named place of destination)
CPT Carriage paid to (named place of destination)
DAF Delivery at frontier (named place)
DDP Delivered duty paid (named place of destination)
DDU Delivery duty paid (named place of destination)
DEQ Delivered ex quay (named port of destination)
DES Delivered ex-ship (named port of destination)
EXW Ex works (named place)
FAS Free alongside ship (named port of shipment)
FCA Free carrier (named place)
FOB Free on board (name port of shipment)

Each of those terms will be described in the next pages as well as the seller’s
and buyer’s obligations under those terms.

FAS, Free Alongside Ship

" Free Alongside Ship" means that the seller delivers when the goods are placed alongside the vessel at the named port of shipment. This means that the buyer has to bear all costs and risks of loss of or damage to the goods from that moment.

The FAS term requires the seller to clear the goods for export.

THIS IS A REVERSAL FROM PREVIOUS INCOTERMS VERSIIONS WHICH REQUIRED THE BUYER TO ARRANGE FOR EXPORT CLEARANCE.

However, if the parties wish the buyer to clear the goods for export, this should be made clear by adding explicit wording to this effect in the contract of sale.

This term can be used only for sea or inland waterway transport.

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A The seller’s obligations B The buyer’s obligations  
A1 Provision of goods in conformity with the contract B1 Payment of the price incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must provide the goods and the commercial invoice, or its equivalent message, in conformity with the contract of sale and an other evidence of conformity which may be required by the contract.   The buyer must pay the price as provided in the contract of sale.  
A2 Licences, authorisations and formalities B2 Licences, authorisations and formalities incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must obtain at his own risk and expense any export licence or other official authorisation and carry out, where applicable, all customs formalities necessary for the export of the goods.   The buyer must obtain at his own risk and expense any import licence or other official authorisation and carry out, where applicable, all customs formalities for the import of the goods and for their transit through any country.  
A3 Contracts of carriage and insurance `B3 Contracts of carriage and insurance incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  Contract of carriage

No obligation

Contract of insurance

No obligation

  Contract of carriage

The buyers must contract at his own expense for the carriage of the goods from the named port of shipment.

Contract of insurance

No obligations.

 
A4 Delivery B4 Taking delivery incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must place the goods alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer at the loading place named by the buyer at the named port of shipment on the date or within the agreed period and in the manner customary at the port.   The buyer must take delivery f the goods when they have been delivered in accordance with A4.  
A5 Transfer of risks B5 Transfer of risks incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must, subject to the provisions of B5, bear all risks of loss of or damage to the goods until such time as they have been delivered in accordance whit A4.   The buyer must bear all risk of loss of or damage to the goods

From the time they have been delivered in accordance with A4; and

From the agreed date or the expiry date of the agreed period for delivery which arise because he fails to give notice in accordance with B7, or because the vessel nominated by him fails to arrive on time, or is unable to take the goods, or closes for cargo earlier than the time notified in accordance with B7, provided, however, that the goods have been duly appropriated to the contract, that is to say, clearly set aside or otherwise identified as the contract goods.

 
A6 Division of costs B6 Division of costs incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must, subject to the provisions of B5, pay

All costs relating to the goods until such time as they have been delivered in accordance with A4; and

Where applicable, the costs of customs formalities as well as all duties, taxes, and other charges payable upon export.

  The buyer must pay

All costs relating to the goods from the time they have been delivered in accordance with A4, and

Any additional costs incurred, either because the vessel nominated by him has failed to arrive on time, or is unable to take the goods, or closes for cargo earlier than the time notified in accordance with B7, or because the buyer has failed to give appropriate notice in accordance with B7 provided, however, that the goods have been duly appropriated to the contract that is to say, clearly set aside or otherwise identified as the contract goods; and

Where applicable, all duties, taxes and other charges as well as the costs of carrying out customs formalities payable upon import of the goods and for their transit through any country.

 
A7 Notice to the buyer B7 Notice to the seller incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must give the buyer sufficient notice that the goods have been delivered alongside the nominated vessel   The buyer must give the seller sufficient notice of the vessel name, loading point and required delivery time.  
A8 Proof of delivery, transport document or equivalent electronic message B8 Proof of delivery, transport document or equivalent electronic message incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must provide the buyer at the seller’s expense with the usual proof of delivery of the goods in accordance wiht A4.

Unless the document referred to in the preceding paragraph is the transport document, the seller must render the buyer at the latter’s request, risk and expense, every assistance in obtaining a transport document (for example a negotiable bill of lading, a non-negotiable sea waybill, an inland waterway document).

When the seller and the buyer have agreed to communicate electronically, the document referred to in the preceding paragraphs may be replaced by an equivalent electronic data interchange (EDI) message.

  The buyer must accept the proof of delivery in accordance with A8.  
A9 Checking – packaging – marking B9 Inspection of goods incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must pay the costs of those checking operations (such as checking quality, measuring, weighing, counting) which are necessary for the purpose of delivering the goods in accordance with A4.

The seller must provide at his own expense packaging (unless it is usual for the particular trade to ship the goods of the contract description unpacked) which is required for the transport of the goods, to the extent that the circumstances relating to the transport (for example modalities, destination) are made known to the seller before the contract of sale is concluded. Packaging is to be marked appropriately.

  The buyer must pay the costs of any pre-shipment inspection, except when such inspection is mandated by the authorities of the country of export.  
A10 Other obligations B10 Other obligations incotop.jpg (3773 bytes)
  The seller must render the buyer at the latter’s request, risk and expense, every assistance in obtaining any documents or equivalent electronic message (other than those mentioned in A8) issued or transmitted in the country of shipment and/or of origin which the buyer may require for the import of the goods and, where necessary, for their transit through any country.

The seller must provide the buyer, upon request, with the necessary information for procuring insurance.

  The buyer must pay all costs and charges included in obtaining the documents or equivalent electronic messages mentioned in A10 and reimburse those incurred by the seller in rendering his assistance in accordance therewith.