CPT, short for Carriage Paid To, is one of the 11 Incoterms created by the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) to ease international cargo transport. Learn all about the CPT Incoterms in 2023, shipping prices, customs and what are the responsibilities of the seller and the buyer when using Carriage Paid To. Get ready to ship your cargo internationally more efficiently.
When using CPT terms for shipping, the seller is responsible for preparing the goods and clearing them for export at the country of origin. When using CPT in logistics operations, the seller must also organise and pay for all freight charges to ship the cargo to a previously designated location.
When using Carriage Paid To Incoterms in logistics operations, the seller must also organise and pay for all freight charges to ship the cargo to a previously designated location (agreed between seller and buyer). This previously designated location is usually but not limited to a port, warehouse or hub at the country of destination.
INSURANCE COVERAGE
Unlike CIP (Carriage and Insurance Paid to), when using the Carriage Paid to Incoterms, the seller is not obligated to purchase insurance for the goods. Because the buyer holds the risk of the goods from the moment they are handed over to the first carrier, the seller might not be interested in purchasing insurance, as they will be liable only for a short part of the process. From this perspective, the buyer may be advised to purchase freight insurance valid from the point of handover of the goods to the carrier.
SHIPPING COSTS
When shipping under CPT shipping terms, the invoice must contain the named address for the points of destination and delivery and the freight costs with the carrier or carriers selected by the seller. The seller is responsible for covering the transport charges up to the point of destination. If that location is in the seller’s country, all international freight charges will be covered by the buyer.
For example, an Irish company sells 100k units of merchandise to a US buyer under CPT shipping terms. The US buyer names the port of New York as the point of destination. Both parties agree on the port of Dublin as the point of delivery.
CPT trade terms are not very common because both the seller and the buyer must agree on two different locations: the point of delivery and the point of destination. When using CPT shipping terms, the seller is obligated to pay for the transport charges until the previously agreed point of destination. However, the risk transfers to the buyer at the point of delivery. In multimodal shipments, the point of delivery is where the cargo is picked up by the first carrier.
CPT CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
When using CPT incoterms for export and import, the seller must cover all export expenses in the country of origin. The seller must prepare the goods for inspection and pay all export taxes and duties at the country of origin. Following the CPT Incoterm, the buyer is responsible for import clearance and paying all taxes, duties and charges generated by the cargo after it is handed over to the carrier at the point destination.
Although it is not specified in Incoterms 2020 CPT customs regulations, it is customary that the seller helps the buyer by providing any necessary documents for import. You can read below our page about customs regulations when shipping freight for more information.
More about freight customs
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