The Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) relating to international commercial law. They are widely used in international commercial transactions or procurement processes and their use is encouraged by trade councils, courts and international lawyers. 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 global or international transportation and delivery of goods. Incoterms inform sales contracts defining respective obligations, costs, and risks involved in the delivery of goods from the seller to the buyer, but they do not themselves conclude a contract, determine the price payable, currency or credit terms, govern contract law or define where title to goods transfers.
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 the differing interpretations of the rules in different countries. As such they are regularly incorporated into sales contracts worldwide.
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Rules for any mode of transport
EXW – Ex Works (named place of delivery)
FCA – Free Carrier (named place of delivery)
CPT – Carriage Paid To (named place of destination)
CIP – Carriage and Insurance Paid to (named place of destination)
DAT – Delivered At Terminal (named terminal at port or place of destination)
DAP – Delivered At Place (named place of destination)
DDP – Delivered Duty Paid (named place of destination)
Rules for sea and inland waterway transport
FAS – Free Alongside Ship (named port of shipment)
FOB – Free on Board (named port of shipment)
CFR – Cost and Freight (named port of destination)
CIF – Cost, Insurance & Freight (named port of destination)
Previous terms from Incoterms 2000 eliminated from Incoterms 2010
DAF – Delivered at Frontier (named place of delivery)
DES – Delivered Ex Ship
DEQ – Delivered Ex Quay (named port of delivery)
DDU – Delivered Duty Unpaid (named place of destination)