The International Chamber of Commerce is revising its Incoterms® rules. The new version, Incoterms® 2020, will be released in 2019 to coincide with the organization’s 100th anniversary.
As usual, suggestions are being requested from the 130 ICC affiliated organizations worldwide. The drafting group has been broadened to include representatives from Australia and China as well as from the US and Europe. In a further departure to obtain more diverse commentary, at least one drafting group meeting will be held in both Asia and Latin America.
While almost everything in the predecessor version is open to change, suggestions are specifically requested for how and in some cases whether the revision should address the following topics:
- Is cargo security adequately covered?
- Should verified gross mass be addressed since Incoterms® rules address “sellers” and “buyers” rather than “shippers” and “consignees?”
- Should the FAS marine-only rule be retained?
- Should the FOB marine-only rule be modified for container use?
- Use of the CFR/CIF marine-only rules be modified for container use?
- Should ownership of the contract goods be addressed?
- Are Incoterms® rules used in commodity trade? What can be done to facilitate this?
- Should EXW and DDP be segregated from the other rules as appropriate for only domestic trade?
- Is coverage of Insurance adequate?
Suggestions on these and any other Incoterms®-related topics are welcome. When commenting, please keep in mind that these rules are designed for worldwide use, and should not overly reflect the regulations of any particular country.
Send your comments to: usincoterm@aol.com. Time is of the essence, as the next drafting meetings are scheduled for March and September. Revised drafts will be circulated to the affiliated organizations for comment and further revision at least three times, and the deadline for the final text is 2018.