How FREE ALONGSIDE SHIP incoterms® works

“Free alongside ship” means that the seller delivers when the goods are placed alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer at the named port of shipment.

The phrase “alongside” means goods are to be placed on the dock or lighter within reach of the transport ship’s tackle so that they can be loaded aboard vessel. This means that the buyer has to bear all costs and risk of loss of or damages to the goods from that moment.

FAS is often used for cargo that doesn’t fit into containers, that is, out of gauge cargo, otherwise they would typically be transported to a container yard under FCA Incoterm.

This term is Ideal for shipping:
• Hard commodities e.g Oil
• Soft commodities e.g grains
• Chemicals etc
As with most points of deliveries , it’s recommended to highlight the exact location at which the goods are being delivered to, particularly in case of large ports as the seller is responsible for the goods until the port of shipment