When negotiating an international sales contract, both parties need to pay as much attention to the terms of sale as to the sales price. To make it as clear as possible, an international set of trade terms (INCOTERMS) has been adopted by most countries that defines exactly the responsibilities and risks of both the buyer and seller including while the merchandise is in transit.

The following chart summarizes the responsibilities of both the buyer and seller for each of the current 13 INCOTERMS. In addition, a definition for each term is included at the bottom of the page.