Ex Works
The seller makes the goods available at their own premises. The buyer takes on everything from there, including loading and export clearance. The lightest obligation for the seller.
When to use it
EXW suits a first-time or low-volume seller who does not want to arrange any transport, or a buyer who already has a strong freight network and wants full control from the seller's door onward. It is rarely the best choice once a seller ships regularly, since the buyer ends up managing export formalities in a country they may not operate in.
The common mistake
Assuming EXW means the seller has no responsibility at all. The seller still has to make the goods available, properly packaged, at the agreed time and place; what EXW actually minimises is transport and export-clearance involvement, not every obligation.
Risk transfers
after Export packaging, from seller to buyer.
See the full responsibility matrix
Compare all 11 Incoterms 2020 rules side by side, interactively.
Incoterms is a registered trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). This is an educational summary, not the official rules. For the binding text, see the ICC Incoterms 2020 publication.
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