Are you an Exporter or Importer looking to navigate the complex world of International Trade? Understanding Incoterms – the standardized terms that govern the responsibilities and risks involved in shipping goods internationally – is essential. With so many different Incoterms, figuring out which ones are best for your business needs can be daunting. That’s why we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide explaining the top 11 most commonly used Incoterms, providing clear explanations and real-world examples. By following this guide, you’ll feel confident negotiating with suppliers and buyers across borders, saving time and money while ensuring your shipments arrive on time and in good condition. So let’s dive into the world of Incoterms!
Short answer first, since that’s what most people searching what Incoterms means want. The 11 Incoterms under the current 2020 rules are EXW, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. Seven of them work for any mode of transport. Four (FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF) are meant only for sea and inland waterway shipments.
Incoterms Meaning: What Are Incoterms in Shipping?
Incoterms (short for International Commercial Terms) are three-letter trade rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce. Incoterms in shipping contracts tell the buyer and the seller who pays for transport, who handles customs, and the exact point where risk of loss or damage moves from one side to the other.
That’s the Incoterms meaning in one line. In practice, it’s the difference between an exporter in Rajkot writing “FOB Mundra” on a quote and the buyer in Rotterdam knowing, without a single follow-up email, that ocean freight is their problem.
A few things Incoterms don’t do, because people assume they do. They don’t decide when ownership of the goods changes hands. They don’t fix the price or the payment terms. And they don’t replace your sales contract. They only work when the contract names the term, the place and the version, like “CIF Jebel Ali Port, Incoterms 2020”.
You’ll also see it written as inco terms, or as a single Incoterm when people mean one rule like FOB. Same thing.
If you’re new to exports and want to see how these terms show up on real contracts, take a look at our Import Export Training in Ahmedabad.
Introduction to Incoterms, Definitions, and Usage
When two companies are Trading Internationally, they need to agree on the conditions of sale. These conditions include who pays for shipping and whom the goods are handed over to once they arrive at their destination. The Incoterms® rules are sets of three-letter trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that are commonly used in international commercial contracts to indicate which party bears which costs and risks associated with the transportation and delivery of goods.
DAT replaced with DPU, “two categories” corrected to four groups, list formatting fixed] There are 11 Incoterms® rules: EXW, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. The Incoterms® rules are divided into four groups:

* E – EXWorks (EXW)
* F – Free Carrier (FCA)
* F – Free Alongside Ship (FAS)
* F – Free On Board (FOB)
c – Cost and Freight (CFR)
c – Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF)
c – Carriage Paid To (CPT)
c – Carriage and Insurance Paid To (CIP)
d – Delivered At Terminal (DAT)
d – Delivered At Place (DAP)
d – Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)
What Are the 11 Incoterms 2020? Full List and Chart
Here’s the Incoterms chart most exporters end up pinning above their desk. Read it left to right: where risk moves, who books the main freight, and whether the seller has to buy insurance.
| Incoterm |
Full form |
Mode |
Risk moves to buyer |
Main freight paid by |
Seller must insure? |
Import clearance by |
| EXW |
Ex Works |
Any |
At seller’s premises, goods made available |
Buyer |
No |
Buyer |
| FCA |
Free Carrier |
Any |
When handed to buyer’s carrier at named place |
Buyer |
No |
Buyer |
| FAS |
Free Alongside Ship |
Sea only |
Alongside the vessel at port of shipment |
Buyer |
No |
Buyer |
| FOB |
Free On Board |
Sea only |
Once goods are on board at port of shipment |
Buyer |
No |
Buyer |
| CFR |
Cost and Freight |
Sea only |
Once goods are on board at port of shipment |
Seller |
No |
Buyer |
| CIF |
Cost, Insurance and Freight |
Sea only |
Once goods are on board at port of shipment |
Seller |
Yes (minimum cover) |
Buyer |
| CPT |
Carriage Paid To |
Any |
When handed to the first carrier |
Seller |
No |
Buyer |
| CIP |
Carriage and Insurance Paid To |
Any |
When handed to the first carrier |
Seller |
Yes (higher cover) |
Buyer |
| DAP |
Delivered at Place |
Any |
At named destination, ready for unloading |
Seller |
No |
Buyer |
| DPU |
Delivered at Place Unloaded |
Any |
At named destination, after unloading |
Seller |
No |
Buyer |
| DDP |
Delivered Duty Paid |
Any |
At named destination, ready for unloading |
Seller |
No |
Seller |
Any-Mode Incoterms (7)
EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. Use these for air cargo, road, rail, courier and containers moving through inland container depots.
Sea-Only Incoterms (4)
FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF. These types of Incoterms assume the seller can physically see the goods reach the ship, which is fine for bulk cargo like grain, coal or steel coils. For containers, it usually isn’t.
Not sure which term fits a particular buyer or product? Our Exim Consultancy Services team can help you pick one before you send the quote.
Explanation of EX Works (EXW) Incoterms
EXW stands for “Ex Works.” This Incoterm is one of the simplest: the seller delivers the goods to their premises, making them available for the buyer to collect. Once dispatched, all responsibility and costs for transferring the goods from the seller’s premises belong to the buyer. The advantage of using this Incoterm is that it shifts the total burden and all risks to the buyer as soon as the goods are available. This can be helpful when selling high-value goods where security is a concern or if the buyer has their shipping arrangements.
Interestingly, EXW is often used with Free on Board (FOB). In this scenario, the seller is responsible for delivering the goods to their premises and making them available for collection but is not liable for any damage or losses during transportation. Once the buyer collects the goods, all transportation costs and risks shift to them, making it essential to follow an accurate Import Export Document Checklist to ensure compliance and avoid delays in international trade.
Explanation of Free Carrier (FCA) Incoterms
An Incoterm commonly used for ocean freight is “Free Carrier” or “FCA.” This means the seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the carrier at the agreed-upon location. The page could be an airport, seaport, or land border crossing point, as specified in the sale contract.
If delivery occurs at the seller’s premises, responsibility and risk transfer to the buyer once the products are loaded onto the buyer’s transport. Suppose delivery happens at a third-party location, such as a carrier’s terminal; responsibility and risk transfer when the products are handed over to them.
FCA does not include cost or insurance, so these must be factored into negotiations.
FCA vs FOB: Which One Should You Quote?
If you ship in containers, FCA is usually the better choice, and the ICC itself says so.
Here’s why. Say you stuff a container at ICD Khodiyar in Ahmedabad and it travels by rail to Mundra. Under FOB, the risk stays with you until the container is loaded on the ship. But from the moment you hand it over at the ICD, you can’t see it, touch it or protect it. It might sit at the port terminal for four days. Under FCA, risk moves to the buyer at the ICD, which is where your control actually ends.
The old objection to FCA was about bank documents. Letters of credit often ask for an “on board” bill of lading, and under FCA the seller wasn’t on board with anything. The 2020 rules fixed this: the buyer can instruct its carrier to issue an on-board bill of lading to the seller.
FOB still makes sense for bulk and break-bulk cargo that you deliver straight to the ship’s side.
Explanation of Free Alongside Ship (FAS) Incoterms
Under FAS, the seller places the goods next to the buyer’s nominated vessel at the named port of shipment, on the quay or on a barge. Risk passes to the buyer right there, before loading. The seller clears the goods for export. Loading, ocean freight, insurance and import duties all sit with the buyer.
You’ll rarely see FAS on a container shipment. It’s a bulk term, used for cargo like timber, steel structures or project machinery that gets lifted aboard by the ship’s own cranes.
Explanation of Free On Board (FOB) Incoterms
FOB is the term most Indian exporters grew up with. The seller clears the goods for export and loads them on board the vessel the buyer has nominated at the named port of shipment, for example “FOB Nhava Sheva”. Risk moves to the buyer once the goods are on board. The buyer books and pays the ocean freight, buys insurance and handles import clearance.
One common mistake: writing “FOB Delhi Airport” on an air shipment. FOB is a sea-only rule. For air cargo, the right term is FCA.
Explanation of Cost and Freight (CFR) Incoterms
Under CFR, the seller pays the freight to the named port of destination, say “CFR Hamburg”. But risk passes to the buyer much earlier, as soon as the goods are on board at the port of loading in India. If the ship hits bad weather halfway, the loss is the buyer’s, even though the seller paid for the voyage.
The seller has no duty to insure under CFR, so the buyer should arrange cover starting from the port of loading. Older invoices often write CFR as C&F or CNF. Same term, outdated label.
Explanation of Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) Incoterms
CIF works like CFR with one addition: the seller also buys marine insurance for the buyer’s benefit, up to the destination port. Risk still passes at the port of loading, which is exactly why the insurance matters. If cargo gets damaged at sea, the buyer claims on the policy the seller bought.
The catch is the level of cover. CIF only asks for minimum cover under Institute Cargo Clauses (C). That covers major events like sinking or fire, but not much else. If your buyer is shipping anything fragile or high value, agree on better cover in the contract.
Explanation of Carriage Paid To (CPT) Incoterms
When any mode of transport transports goods, the seller pays for the carriage cost to the named destination point. The risk of loss or damage to the goods passes when the goods are handed over to the first carrier at the origin. If, however, the carriage costs cannot be calculated in advance, they must be borne by the buyer. Under CPT, Incoterms 2020, the seller is responsible for arranging transportation and paying freight and insurance charges to carry goods to the named destination point. The risk of loss or damage passes once delivery takes place.
Explanation of Carriage and Insurance Paid To (CIP) Incoterms
Carriage and insurance paid (CIP) is an Incoterms® rule. It is commonly used in international sales contracts when the goods are transported by any mode, including multimodal transport.
When using this Incoterm®, the seller must pay for the carriage and insurance of the goods until they are delivered to the named place of destination. The buyer assumes all other risks and costs from that point onward.
It should be noted that, under CIP terms, the seller is only responsible for arranging and paying for carriage and insurance up to the agreed destination. They are not liable for any delays or damage that occur during transit. If you require your supplier to take on this liability, it must be clearly stated in your contract, as outlined in a reliable Import-Export Consultant Guide for managing risk and responsibilities in international trade.
If you are using CIP terms, you should include the following:
– The words’ Carriage and Insurance Paid To’ or abbreviations ‘CIP’ in your contract before the named place of destination;
– A named place of destination;
-The method of transportation
Including these details will help avoid misunderstandings about who is responsible for what costs and what risks are involved in the shipment.
Explanation of Delivered at Place (DAP) Incoterms
When two businesses agree to trade goods, they will also need to decide who is responsible for covering transportation and shipping costs. This is where Incoterms come into play. Incoterms are international commercial terms that spell out which party is responsible for various aspects of the shipment process. “Delivered at Place” (DAP) is one of the most commonly used Incoterms, and it essentially means that the seller is responsible for getting the goods to the buyer’s doorstep.
If you’re importing goods from a supplier using DAP terms, it’s essential to be clear on what exactly is included in door-to-door delivery. In most cases, DAP consists of all transportation and shipping costs until the goods are delivered to your facility. However, additional charges may be incurred once the goods are in your possession, such as unloading onto a truck or unpacking from crates. Be sure to discuss with your supplier what exactly is included in their DAP quote so there are no surprises down the line.
Explanation of Delivered at Place (DAP) Incoterms
When two businesses agree to trade goods, they will also need to decide who is responsible for covering transportation and shipping costs. This is where Incoterms come into play. Incoterms are international commercial terms that spell out which party is responsible for various aspects of the shipment process. “Delivered at Place” (DAP) is one of the most commonly used Incoterms, and it essentially means that the seller is responsible for getting the goods to the buyer’s doorstep.
If you’re importing goods from a supplier using DAP terms, it’s essential to be clear on what exactly is included in door-to-door delivery. In most cases, DAP consists of all transportation and shipping costs until the goods are delivered to your facility. However, additional charges may be incurred once the goods are in your possession, such as unloading onto a truck or unpacking from crates. Be sure to discuss with your supplier what exactly is included in their DAP quote so there are no surprises down the line.
Explanation of Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU) Incoterms
DPU replaced DAT in the 2020 revision. The seller delivers the goods to the named place of destination and unloads them there. It’s the only Incoterm that puts unloading on the seller.
The named place can be a terminal, a warehouse, a factory gate, anywhere both sides agree on. Import clearance and duties stay with the buyer.
A practical warning. Only agree to DPU if you can actually get the goods unloaded at the destination, through your forwarder’s agent or a local partner. If you can’t, DAP is the safer quote.
Explanation of Delivered at Terminal
DAT is no longer part of the current rules. We’ve kept this section because older contracts still use it. For any new contract, use DPU.
Assuming you are the exporter:
The Delivered at Terminal Incoterm (DAT) means that the seller delivers the goods to the buyer at an agreed terminal, at which point the buyer takes responsibility for the goods. This is a door-to-door Incoterm, meaning the seller must deliver the goods to the terminal and prepare them for pickup. The buyer is then responsible for any onward transport from the airport.
This Incoterm can be used for any mode of transport but is most commonly used for maritime shipments. It is also sometimes used for land transport, particularly when crossing borders (for example, from Mexico to the United States).
DAT is a good choice for Incoterm if you want to minimize the risks and costs associated with transport. This is because, as the seller, you only have to get the goods to the terminal – you don’t have to worry about getting them to the buyer’s premises. The downside is that your responsibility for the goods ends when they reach the terminal, so you have no control over what happens to them. If there are any transport delays or customs clearance problems, you will not be responsible or liable.
Explanation of Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Incoterms
DDP puts the most responsibility on the seller. You deliver the goods to the buyer’s named place, cleared for import, with duties and local taxes paid. The buyer only has to unload.
It sounds like great customer service, and sometimes it is. But think it through before you quote it. To clear goods in the buyer’s country, someone has to act as the importer there. Some countries also expect that importer to be registered for VAT or GST locally. If you don’t have a subsidiary, a partner or a forwarder who can act for you, DDP can leave your cargo stuck at customs.
What Happened to DDU?
DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) was dropped back in Incoterms 2010, and DAP replaced it. You’ll still spot DDU on courier forms and old contracts. Read it as DAP, and write DAP in anything new.
FOB vs CIF vs DDP: Which Suits Indian Exporters?
There’s no single right answer, but there’s usually a right answer for a given buyer.
Quote FOB when the buyer has its own freight forwarder or a contract with a shipping line. Large importers in the US and Europe almost always do. They’d rather control freight themselves, and FOB keeps your job simple: clear export, load the ship, done.
Quote CIF when the buyer is smaller and wants a price delivered to their port. You book the freight, so you control the sailing date and the shipping line, which helps if your payment depends on documents reaching the bank on time.
Save DDP for buyers you know well, in countries where you have someone on the ground.
One detail that catches new exporters out. Whatever term you sell on, the shipping bill in India declares the export value on an FOB basis. So on a CIF sale, the freight and insurance come off the invoice value when your CHA files the shipping bill. Keep your freight and insurance documents ready for that.
Before you quote, check what your buyer already does. EximIntell’s shipment data shows which ports a buyer imports through and who they currently buy from, which tells you a lot about whether they’ll expect FOB or CIF. If you’re still building that list, our guide on How to Find Buyers for Export walks through where to start.
What Changed in Incoterms 2020 vs 2010
The ICC’s 2020 revision kept the count at 11 Incoterms but changed several rules underneath. These are the changes exporters feel most:
- DAT was renamed and widened into DPU, so the unloading place no longer has to be a terminal.
- CIP now asks for higher insurance cover (Institute Cargo Clauses A), while CIF stays at minimum cover.
- FCA lets the buyer instruct its carrier to issue an on-board bill of lading to the seller, which helps with letters of credit.
- FCA, DAP, DPU and DDP now accept that the buyer or seller may move the goods with its own vehicles.
- Security-related costs, like cargo screening, are now allocated clearly in each rule.
- Each rule lists all its costs in one place (articles A9 and B9), so you don’t have to hunt through the text.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Incoterms are an essential part of any shipment process. Exporters and importers need to understand what each Incoterm means to be successful with their shipments. We have used this guide to review the top 11 Incoterms and explain them in depth so that our readers can be better informed when making decisions around international trade agreements and shipments. With a thorough understanding of these terms, users will gain peace of mind regarding international business transactions.
Picking the right term is half the job. The other half is knowing who you’re selling to. Search your buyers on EximIntell before your next quote.
FAQs on Incoterms
Q1. What are the 11 Incoterms?
The 11 Incoterms under the 2020 rules are EXW, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF are for sea and inland waterway only. The other seven work for any mode of transport. The Incoterms chart above shows where risk and cost move for each one.
Q2. What is Incoterms in simple words?
The Incoterms meaning is International Commercial Terms. They’re standard rules from the International Chamber of Commerce that set who pays for freight, insurance and customs in an international sale, and where risk passes from seller to buyer. When a buyer writes FOB or CIF in a purchase order, that’s what the term means for both sides.
Q3. How many Incoterms are there in 2026?
There are still 11. Incoterms 2020 is the version in force. Parties can agree to use an older version like Incoterms 2010, but only if the contract says so.
Q4. What is FOB, CIF and DDP?
Under FOB, the seller loads the goods on the ship and the buyer pays ocean freight. Under CIF, the seller also pays freight and minimum insurance to the destination port. Under DDP, the seller delivers to the buyer’s door with import duties paid.
Q5. Which Incoterms are used only for sea shipments?
Of the two types of Incoterms, the sea-only group has four: FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF. For containers, air cargo and road transport, use FCA, CPT or CIP.
Q6. Is DAT still a valid Incoterm?
No. DAT was replaced by DPU in the 2020 revision. A contract can still use DAT if it clearly refers to Incoterms 2010, but DPU is the better choice for new contracts.