European Shippers’ Council is contributing to the review process of Incoterms. We are happy to see that the International Chamber of Commerce has taken on board practitioners’ criticism as to the readability, clarity, and practical applicability of several Incoterms. Sadly, not all problems as experienced by practitioners are resolved in the currently proposed changes. So, if no further improvements are made, we can still expect issues to arise concerning packaging, EXW, and excise/customs related activities.
The International Chamber of Commerce updates the Incoterms® every ten years to reflect current trade customs. As almost ten years have passed since the last Incoterms® were issued, the review process by all national and regional committees is well on its way. The new Incoterms 2020 will enter into force on 1 January 2020. Here we reflect on the main changes that ESC experts have proposed to the draft Incoterms 2020.