Incoterms 2020 Lookup
Type any Incoterm — EXW to DDP — and see instantly who pays what, where risk transfers, and the classic mistakes.
11 terms in Incoterms 2020. FAS/FOB/CFR/CIF are sea-only — using them for containers is the most common Incoterm mistake; FCA/CPT/CIP are their container-correct cousins.
Type a code to identify it.
Sources & references
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 official publication
- ICC guidance on term selection (mode compatibility)
Reference data is provided for operational convenience and reflects common usage at the time of writing — verify regulated decisions against the official source (ICC, WCO, BIC, national customs).
Incoterms are the three-letter answer to four questions every international sale must settle: who arranges and pays each leg of transport, where exactly RISK passes from seller to buyer, who clears export and import, and who insures. The 11 terms of Incoterms 2020 — published by the ICC and revised roughly each decade — encode standard answers, and this lookup explains any of them the moment you type the code.
About Incoterms 2020 Lookup
Two structural facts prevent most Incoterm mistakes. First: four terms (FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF) are SEA-ONLY, designed for cargo physically delivered to a vessel — containerised freight handed to a terminal days before loading belongs under their multimodal cousins (FCA, CPT, CIP), because under FOB the seller carries risk through a terminal stay they can't control. Second: in the C-terms, COST and RISK split — the seller pays freight to destination, but risk passes at origin, so mid-voyage damage under CFR/CIF/CPT is the buyer's insurance claim, however counterintuitive. The lookup notes also flag the negotiation realities: EXW quietly dumps export-clearance obligations on a buyer with no presence in the seller's country; DDP makes the seller an importer abroad with VAT it often can't recover; CIF's default insurance is the MINIMUM cover (Clauses C) while CIP since 2020 defaults to all-risks (Clauses A). Picking the term is contract drafting, not shipping admin — and 'FOB + named place + Incoterms 2020' beats a bare 'FOB' in every dispute.
How to use Incoterms 2020 Lookup
- 1Type or paste the code — matching starts from the first few characters.
- 2The longest matching prefix wins, so the most specific identification is shown.
- 3Read the result card for the owner/meaning and any practical notes.
- 4Use the official-site link to continue (e.g., track the unit on the owner's page).
Why use Incoterms 2020 Lookup?
- ✓Instant identification as you type — no database queries, no waiting
- ✓Longest-prefix matching picks the most specific answer
- ✓Direct links to the official source for the next step
- ✓Free and private — the code never leaves your browser
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between FOB and CIF?+
Under both, risk passes at loading on the vessel. The difference is who pays the ocean leg: FOB — buyer books and pays freight (and insurance, if any); CIF — seller pays freight and provides minimum-cover insurance for the buyer's benefit. CIF prices therefore embed freight, which also matters at customs: CIF-basis countries assess duty on that inclusive value.
Why shouldn't FOB be used for containers?+
Because the seller's control ends at the container terminal gate, days before the crane lifts the box aboard — yet FOB keeps the seller's risk alive until 'on board'. Damage or loss in the terminal window falls into a gap nobody priced. FCA (named terminal) ends seller risk at the handover that actually happens. The 2020 rules even added FCA's on-board B/L mechanism specifically so LC sellers could stop misusing FOB.
Who pays import duty under each term?+
The buyer — under every term except DDP, where the seller clears imports and pays duty/taxes. That's DDP's trap: the seller becomes importer of record abroad, needing registrations it may not have and absorbing VAT/GST it often can't reclaim. Sellers offering 'all-in to your door' pricing usually want DAP (buyer pays duty) with a duty estimate, not true DDP.
What changed in Incoterms 2020 vs 2010?+
DAT became DPU (and moved after DAP); CIP's default insurance jumped from minimum (Clauses C) to all-risks (Clauses A) while CIF stayed minimum; FCA gained the on-board bill-of-lading option for letter-of-credit sales; security obligations and own-transport scenarios were clarified. The 2010 terms remain valid if contracts cite them — which is why stating the edition ('Incoterms 2020') in every contract matters.
Embed Incoterms 2020 Lookup on your website
Want Incoterms 2020 Lookupon your own site? Paste this snippet into any HTML page — it's free, with no API key or sign-up. The tool loads in an iframe and keeps working exactly as it does here.
<iframe src="https://tooljolt.com/tools/incoterms-2020-lookup" width="100%" height="640" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;max-width:680px" title="Incoterms 2020 Lookup — ToolJolt" loading="lazy"></iframe>Related Logistics tools
Demurrage Calculator (Ocean Containers)
Work out ocean container demurrage from free days and a tiered terminal tariff — with a per-tier breakdown.
● LiveContainer Detention (Per Diem) Calculator
Calculate detention / per-diem owed on containers gated out but not yet returned empty to the depot.
● LiveTruck Driver Detention Fee Calculator
Price driver detention at the dock by the hour — free window, tiered hourly rates and multi-stop totals.
● Live