Select any of the 11 Incoterms 2020 rules to see exactly where risk transfers, who arranges main carriage and insurance, and who handles export and import customs.
When goods are handed to the carrier named by the buyer, or loaded onto the buyer's collecting vehicle at the seller's premises.
The seller clears export customs, unlike EXW — the most common alternative to EXW for exactly that reason.
| Term | Mode | Main Carriage | Insurance | Export Customs | Import Customs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Any | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer |
| FCA | Any | Buyer | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| CPT | Any | Seller | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| CIP | Any | Seller | Seller | Seller | Buyer |
| DAP | Any | Seller | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| DPU | Any | Seller | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| DDP | Any | Seller | Buyer | Seller | Seller |
| FAS | Sea only | Buyer | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| FOB | Sea only | Buyer | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| CFR | Sea only | Seller | Buyer | Seller | Buyer |
| CIF | Sea only | Seller | Seller | Seller | Buyer |
Educational summary of the 2020 ICC Incoterms rules, not a substitute for the official rulebook. Always confirm the exact term and named place in your own contract.
Two changes matter most here: DAT (Delivered at Terminal) was renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) and now allows delivery anywhere the seller can unload, not just a terminal. And CIP's required insurance level was raised to Institute Cargo Clauses (A), all-risk cover, up from the same minimum (C) level CIF still uses.
The ICC recommends FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, or DDP for containerized cargo rather than FOB, CFR, or CIF — those three transfer risk "on board the vessel," which is awkward to pin down for a container that's often handed to the carrier well before loading, at a container yard or terminal.
No. Incoterms govern who bears risk, who arranges and pays for transport and insurance, and who handles customs — not legal title or ownership, which is a separate matter usually addressed elsewhere in the sale contract.
No. Only CIF and CIP require the seller to obtain insurance for the buyer's benefit. Under every other term, insurance is left to whichever party bears the risk at that stage to arrange for themselves, if they want coverage at all.
No. Those three (plus FAS) are restricted to sea and inland waterway transport under the rules — for air, road, rail, or multimodal shipments, use one of the seven terms designated for any mode of transport (EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP).
The seller — DDP is the only term where the seller is responsible for import customs clearance and duties in the buyer's own country, in addition to everything else. It's the maximum obligation term for the seller.
No. This is an educational summary of the key differentiators most people actually need day to day. The full ICC publication defines ten numbered obligations per term in detail and is the authoritative reference for contract drafting — consult it, or a trade lawyer, before finalizing contract terms.
Indirectly — it determines who is legally responsible for import formalities and may affect who's named as the importer of record, but it doesn't change the duty or VAT rate itself. See our customs duty and VAT calculators for the actual cost calculation.
Knowing who's responsible is one thing. Mirage checks that your bills of lading, invoices, and customs documents actually reflect the agreed Incoterm before it becomes a dispute.
See Customs Declaration Automation