FAS — Free Alongside Ship (Incoterms 2020)
FAS — Free Alongside Ship (Incoterms® 2020). Risk transfers when the goods are placed alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer at the named port of shipment.. Freight NOT included. Insurance NOT included.Generate compliant FAS documents in 60 seconds. Free up to 3/month.
infoFAS at a Glance
Responsibilities
- Risk Transfer
- When the goods are placed alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer at the named port of shipment.
- Cost Responsibility
- Seller bears costs up to placement alongside vessel. Buyer bears all costs from that point onward: loading, freight, import.
- Transport Mode
- Sea/Inland Waterway ONLY
- Freight Included
- No — buyer arranges main carriage
- Insurance Included
- No — buyer arranges if desired
- Category
- Main Carriage Unpaid (F)
When to Use FAS
- For bulk cargo that cannot be containerized
- When goods are loaded directly onto vessel by ship's gear
- For commodities like grain, coal, ore, oil
When NOT to Use FAS
- For containerized cargo (use FCA instead)
- For roll-on/roll-off cargo (use FCA or FOB)
articleFAS Explained — Practical Guide
What FAS Means in Plain Language
FAS (Free Alongside Ship (Incoterms® 2020)) is an Incoterms® 2020 term in Category F — main carriage unpaid. Under FAS, the seller when the goods are placed alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer at the named port of shipment.and does NOT pay for main carriage.
Step-by-Step: Who Does What
- Seller: Makes goods available at the named port/place.
- Export clearance: Seller arranges & pays for export clearance.
- Main carriage: Buyer contracts & pays carrier from named place.
- Risk transfers: When the goods are placed alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer at the named port of shipment.. After this point, loss/damage is buyer's risk.
- Insurance: Buyer arranges own insurance if desired.
- Import clearance: Buyer arranges & pays for import clearance, duties, taxes at destination.
- Final delivery: Buyer unloads at destination.
Common FAS Mistakes to Avoid
- Using FAS for air/road/rail shipments — mode mismatch invalidates the term.
- Not naming the precise place/port — "FAS China" is invalid; use "FAS Shanghai" or "FAS Guangzhou".
- Assuming insurance is included when it's not — only CIP and CIF include seller-procured insurance.
- Confusing risk transfer with cost transfer — they happen at different points in C-terms.
- Missing "Incoterms® 2020" in contract — without edition, old 2010 rules may apply.
local_shippingCarrier Implementation Notes for FAS
local_shippingFedEx
- • Terms of Sale field: FAS + named place
- • Freight collect — buyer provides carrier account
- • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
- • Ocean AWB / Bill of Lading required
inventory_2UPS
- • Terms of Sale field: FAS + named place
- • Freight collect — buyer provides carrier account
- • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
- • Ocean AWB / Bill of Lading required
deployed_codeDHL
- • Terms of Sale field: FAS + named place
- • Freight collect — buyer provides carrier account
- • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
- • Ocean AWB / Bill of Lading required
downloadFree: Incoterms® 2020 Cheat Sheet (PDF)
One-page reference: all 11 terms, risk transfer points, cost matrix, when to use each. Perfect for your desk or forwarding team.
Includes FAS deep-dive + 7-email nurture (export tips). Unsubscribe anytime.
Generate FAS Documents Now
Create proforma invoices, commercial invoices (FedEx/UPS/DHL), and packing lists with FAS pre-filled. Carrier-ready PDFs in 60 seconds. Free up to 3/month.
Generate FAS Documents — Freearrow_forwardFree — 3 docs/month