Free Carrier (named place of delivery)

FCA is a very flexible Incoterm because it allows the delivery of the goods, both on the premises of the seller and at various points such as transports centers, ports, airports, container terminals, etc., which are located in the country of the seller. Therefore, when using this Incoterm, it is very important to specify clearly the place of delivery.

FCA can be used for any type of cargo (general cargo, full load, groupage) and with different means of payment (open account, bank transfer, letter of credit, etc.).

In the Incoterms FCA, the seller must complete and bear the costs of export clearance and, therefore, is responsible for obtaining the necessary documents for it. The import clearance formalities are performed by the buyer.

When the goods are transported in containers and the place of delivery is the port of shipment, Incoterms 2010 rules advised to use FCA instead of FOB, because the containers are delivered regularly in the port's container terminal and not loaded onto the ship.

FCA is one of the most used Incoterms in international trade and will probably replace EXW for the majority of sales where the seller delivers the goods in its own country and do not want to manage international logistics.