An Incoterms® 2020 chart you can read at a glance
International sales contracts use three-letter trade terms — EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and the rest — to say where the seller’s job ends. This trade terms chart puts all eleven terms of the 2020 Incoterms® rules side by side and shows, for each of eleven steps from loading at the factory to paying import duty, who pays and who carries the risk. Pick any term for a step-by-step explanation in plain English.
Not sure which term to quote? Answer a few questions about the shipment — how it travels, who books the freight, where the seller’s risk should end — and the chooser recommends a term and says why. The chart prints on one page or downloads as a CSV for your own price sheets.
How to use the Trade Terms Chart (EXW to DDP)
- In Which term fits my shipment?, choose how the goods travel and who books the main freight.
- Answer the follow-up questions that appear (export clearance, handover point, insurance, unloading, import duties).
- Read the recommended term and the alternatives, then the step-by-step card that opens below it.
- Use Explain a term step by step or click a term in the chart to compare others.
- Press Print chart (or save it as PDF from the print dialog), or download the chart as CSV.
Trade Terms Chart (EXW to DDP) features
Eleven terms, eleven steps
Loading, export clearance, pre-carriage, origin handling, freight, insurance, destination handling, on-carriage, unloading, import clearance and duties.
Risk shown separately from cost
A coloured bar under each cell marks whether that step is at the seller’s or the buyer’s risk, so the CFR and CPT “cost here, risk there” split is visible.
Term chooser
Recommends a term from your answers and explains the reasoning, with the closest alternatives.
Plain-language cards
Where risk passes, what insurance is required, when the term fits and the usual trap.
Print and CSV
A print layout that sends only the chart to the printer, and a CSV of the whole table.
The eleven terms in one minute
| Term | Mode | Seller pays up to | Risk passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW Ex Works | Any | Goods ready at its premises | At the seller’s premises |
| FCA Free Carrier | Any | Handover to the buyer’s carrier | At that handover |
| FAS Free Alongside Ship | Sea | Alongside the vessel | Alongside the vessel |
| FOB Free On Board | Sea | Loaded on board | On board, port of shipment |
| CFR Cost and Freight | Sea | Freight to destination port | On board, port of shipment |
| CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight | Sea | Freight + minimum insurance | On board, port of shipment |
| CPT Carriage Paid To | Any | Carriage to destination | Handover to first carrier |
| CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid To | Any | Carriage + all-risks insurance | Handover to first carrier |
| DAP Delivered at Place | Any | Arrival at destination | On arrival, before unloading |
| DPU Delivered at Place Unloaded | Any | Unloaded at destination | After unloading |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid | Any | Arrival, import cleared, duties paid | On arrival, before unloading |
Choosing between FOB, CIF, FCA and DDP
- FOB vs CIF: the risk passes at the same moment — on board at the port of shipment. The difference is cost: under CIF the seller also pays the ocean freight and minimum insurance to the destination port.
- FOB vs FCA for containers: containers are handed to the carrier at a terminal, often days before loading. Under FOB the seller still carries the risk in that gap; FCA moves it to the handover.
- DAP vs DDP: both deliver to the door. Under DDP the seller is also the importer and pays duties and import taxes, which may require registering for VAT or GST in the buyer’s country. Estimate those costs with the landed cost calculator.
- Always name a precise place after the term (“FCA Nhava Sheva CFS, Incoterms® 2020”) and the year of the rules.
What the terms do not cover
Trade terms set delivery, risk and cost sharing. They do not decide when ownership passes, the price, payment terms or what happens if the contract is broken; the sales contract and the governing law do. Customs value and duty depend on the country — India and the US, for example, value imports differently — and the product’s code, which you can look up with the HS code finder.
This chart is an independent summary written for quick reference. The official rules are published by the International Chamber of Commerce; Incoterms® is its registered trademark. It is general information, not legal advice for a specific contract.
Trade Terms Chart (EXW to DDP) FAQ
What are the 11 Incoterms 2020 rules?
Seven for any mode of transport — EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP — and four for sea and inland waterway — FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF. The trade terms chart above shows who pays and who bears risk at each step for all of them.
Which trade term is best for the buyer?
There is no single best term. EXW and FCA give the buyer most control over freight and cost; DAP and DDP put most work on the seller. Choose the term that matches who can book freight, clear customs and insure most cheaply.
Is FOB only for sea freight?
Yes. FOB, FAS, CFR and CIF are meant for goods loaded onto a vessel. For air, road, rail and most container shipments use FCA, CPT or CIP instead.
What changed in the 2020 rules?
DAT became DPU and can be any place; CIP now requires all-risks insurance while CIF keeps minimum cover; FCA allows an on-board bill of lading; and the parties may use their own transport under FCA, DAP, DPU and DDP.
Can I download the chart as a PDF?
Press Print chart and choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print dialog; only the chart is printed. The CSV download opens in any spreadsheet.
Who pays import duty under DAP?
The buyer. Under DAP the seller delivers to the named place, but import clearance, duties and taxes are the buyer’s. Only DDP puts import duty on the seller.