A practical guide to FCA shipping — including seller and buyer responsibilities, export clearance, risk transfer, FCA vs EXW and FOB, container shipping, and the Incoterms® 2020 on-board Bill of Lading option.
SEE FCA RESPONSIBILITIESUnder FCA (Free Carrier), the seller delivers the goods to the carrier or another person nominated by the buyer at the named place of delivery and completes export clearance.
The exact delivery moment depends on the named place. If delivery is at the seller's premises, the seller loads the goods onto the buyer-arranged collecting vehicle. If delivery is at another named place, delivery occurs when the goods arrive there on the seller's vehicle, ready for unloading and at the disposal of the buyer's nominated carrier or person.
The seller completes export formalities before delivery to the buyer's nominated carrier.
The buyer normally arranges the main international carriage after FCA delivery.
The chosen delivery point determines exactly when risk transfers from seller to buyer.
FCA gives the buyer control of the main carriage while leaving export clearance and agreed origin delivery with the seller.
The named place changes the seller's delivery obligation. This is one of the most important details in an FCA contract.
If the named place is the seller's factory or warehouse, delivery occurs when the goods are loaded onto the means of transport arranged by the buyer.
RISK TRANSFERS AFTER LOADING AT SELLER'S PREMISES.If the named place is a terminal, warehouse or other location, delivery occurs when the seller's vehicle reaches that place and the goods are ready for unloading at the carrier's disposal.
RISK TRANSFERS BEFORE UNLOADING FROM SELLER'S VEHICLE.Under FCA, the named delivery place is critical because it identifies where the seller completes delivery and where risk passes to the buyer.
“FCA Shenzhen” may still be too broad. State the factory, terminal, warehouse or other exact delivery point whenever practical.
| COST / TASK | SELLER | BUYER |
|---|---|---|
| Goods & export packaging | YES | — |
| Export customs clearance | YES | — |
| Delivery to named FCA place | YES | — |
| Loading at seller's premises | YES | — |
| Unloading at another named FCA place | Not required | YES |
| Main international freight | — | YES |
| Cargo insurance | Not required by FCA | Optional / Buyer choice |
| Import customs clearance | — | YES |
| Import duties & taxes | — | YES |
Both let the buyer control the main transport, but FCA gives the seller more origin responsibility and is often more practical for international exports.
Seller makes the goods available at the named place and does not have to load the collecting vehicle or clear for export.
EXPORT CLEARANCEBUYERSeller completes export clearance and delivers to the buyer's nominated carrier at the named place.
EXPORT CLEARANCESELLERFOB is limited to sea and inland waterway transport and uses an on-board vessel delivery point. FCA can be used for any mode and can better match container shipments handed to the carrier before vessel loading.
Useful for containers, terminals, air freight and multimodal transport.
RISK: AT NAMED FCA DELIVERY POINTUse only for sea / inland waterway transport when the on-board delivery point fits the transaction.
RISK: ON BOARD AT ORIGIN PORTIn some sea-freight transactions — especially where a letter of credit is involved — the seller may need an on-board Bill of Lading even though FCA delivery occurs before vessel loading.
Incoterms® 2020 allows the parties to agree that the buyer will instruct its carrier to issue an on-board Bill of Lading to the seller after loading. The seller then provides that document to the buyer as agreed.
FCA can work well for buyers sourcing from China who want their own forwarder to control international transport while the supplier handles export clearance and origin delivery to an agreed point.
Goods and export packaging are prepared.
The buyer or forwarder provides transport instructions.
China export customs formalities are completed.
Goods are delivered at the agreed named place.
Sea, air or multimodal transport proceeds under buyer control.
Buyer handles destination-side customs and delivery.
The delivery point should be specified as precisely as possible because it determines where risk transfers and may affect loading or unloading responsibility.
The supplier completes export clearance and transports the cargo to the named Shenzhen terminal. The goods are made available there to the buyer's nominated carrier, ready for unloading from the seller's vehicle.
Risk transfers to the buyer at that FCA delivery point. The buyer's forwarder then controls the international freight, U.S. import clearance and final delivery.
SELLER HANDLES EXPORT — BUYER CONTROLS MAIN FREIGHT.Exact documentation depends on cargo, mode, route and regulatory requirements.
FCA means Free Carrier. The seller completes export clearance and delivers the goods to the carrier or another person nominated by the buyer at the named place.
The buyer normally arranges and pays the main international carriage after FCA delivery.
The seller is responsible for export clearance under FCA.
Risk transfers at the agreed FCA delivery point. The exact moment depends on whether delivery is at the seller's premises or another named place.
Yes. FCA can be used for any mode of transport, including air freight and multimodal transportation.
Yes. FCA is often well suited to containerized cargo delivered to a carrier or terminal before loading on board the vessel.
Under FCA, the seller completes export clearance and delivers to the nominated carrier. Under EXW, the buyer has more origin responsibility and normally handles export clearance.
The 2020 rules added an option for the parties to agree that the buyer instructs its carrier to issue an on-board Bill of Lading to the seller after vessel loading.
Send us the supplier location, exact FCA delivery place, cargo details, destination and cargo-ready date. We can plan the main freight and destination-side logistics.
GET A FREE QUOTEThis page is a general educational summary and is not the official ICC Incoterms® 2020 text or legal, tax or customs advice. The named delivery place, transport arrangement and sales contract matter. Refer to the official ICC rules when incorporating FCA into a contract.
ChengYu Ship can coordinate sea freight, air freight, customs clearance and final delivery after your supplier completes the agreed FCA delivery.
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