Free Carrier
The seller delivers the goods, cleared for export, to a carrier named by the buyer. Risk passes at that handover. Flexible for any transport mode and containerised cargo.
When to use it
FCA is the most flexible rule in the set and the one ICC recommends over FOB for containerised cargo, since it does not force risk transfer to happen at a vessel's rail that container cargo never actually crosses. Use it when the buyer arranges main freight but the seller should still handle export clearance.
The common mistake
Not specifying an exact named place (a terminal, a warehouse, the seller's premises). FCA's risk-transfer point depends entirely on where delivery happens, so 'FCA Shanghai' without a specific location invites a dispute the moment something goes wrong.
Risk transfers
after Export customs clearance, 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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