Port Of Shipment

F.A.S. (Named Port of Shipment) in Maritime Law

Note: There is more information on maritime/admiralty law here.

The following is a definition of F.A.S. (Named Port of Shipment), produced by Tetley, in the context of admiralty law: [Translation of Port of Shipment in French: ” F.L.B. – Franco Long du Bord” or “franco le long du navire”] [Translation of Port of Shipment in Spanish: “franco al costado del buque”] [Translation of Port of Shipment in Italian: “franco lungo bordo”] [Translation of Port of Shipment in German: “Freie Längsseite See- oder Binnenschiff (benannter Verschiffungshafen)”]- Free Alongside Ship is a term of the contract of sale. Incoterms 2000 (see this maritime law term in this legal dictionary) gives the following abbreviated description of F.A.S.:

“Free Alongside Ship” means that the seller delivers when the goods are placed alongside the vessel at the named port of shipment. This means that the buyer has to bear all costs and risks of loss of or damage to the goods from that moment.

The FAS term requires the seller to clear the goods for export.

THIS IS A REVERSAL FROM PREVIOUS INCOTERMS VERSIONS WHICH REQUIRED THE BUYER TO ARRANGE FOR EXPORT CLEARANCE.

However, if the parties wish the buyer to clear the goods for export, this should be made clear by adding explicit wording to this effect in the contract of sale.

This term can be used only for sea or inland waterway transport.”

Port of Shipment in Admiralty Law

For information on port of shipment in this context, see the entry on port of shipment in the maritime law encyclopedia.