GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 13, 2026

Incoterms Title Transfer

Title transfer (ownership transfer) is the legal moment when ownership of goods passes from seller to buyer.

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Last updated: 13 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/

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Definition & Explanation

Title transfer (ownership transfer) is the legal moment when ownership of goods passes from seller to buyer. Critically, Incoterms do not govern this transfer. They specify only when risk, costs, and delivery obligations shift between parties – the timing of title transfer is determined exclusively by the sales contract and applicable law. In practice, this creates asymmetries: a buyer may bear risk and costs before becoming the owner, or vice versa. Freight forwarders and customs authorities distinguish carefully between these three independent events.

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Incoterms Title Transfer

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Related Terms

Incoterms Finance Booking Logic

Incoterms constitutive possession

Incoterms transfer of possession

Incoterms delivery obligation proof

Incoterms risk transfer timing

Delivery

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