# Incoterms® EXW (Ex Works)

*Last updated: 2026-06-24*

> EXW (Ex Works) places the maximum burden on the buyer: once goods are made available at the seller's premises or a named location, the buyer assumes all costs, risks, and administrative duties – including loading, export clearance, international carriage, and import formalities.

EXW (Ex Works) places the maximum burden on the buyer: once goods are made available at the seller's premises or a named location, the buyer assumes all costs, risks, and administrative duties – including loading, export clearance, international carriage, and import formalities. The seller's sole obligation is to have the goods ready for collection; loading onto the collecting vehicle is not included. EXW applies to all modes of transport and is common for factory-gate or warehouse sales, particularly in domestic or intra-regional trade. A structural problem arises in cross-border transactions: the buyer must formally act as exporter of record, which is legally problematic – sometimes impossible – for foreign buyers without a legal entity in the seller's country. For international shipments, freight forwarders routinely advise replacing EXW with FCA, which assigns export clearance to the seller and eliminates this complication.

**Source:** [https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/](https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Incoterms® EXW (Ex Works) |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 140 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-24 |
| Source | https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/ |

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