Understand Ex Works responsibilities, risk transfer, China factory pickup, export customs, freight costs and door delivery before agreeing to an EXW purchase.
EXW (franco fabbrica) is an Incoterms® rule under which the seller delivers by placing the goods at the buyer’s disposal at an agreed named place—commonly the seller’s factory or warehouse—on the agreed date or within the agreed period.
The seller is not required under the EXW rule to load the collecting vehicle, arrange carriage or clear the goods for export. Risk normally transfers to the buyer when the goods are made available at the precisely named place and point, before loading.
For an international buyer purchasing from a Chinese supplier, EXW shipping from China therefore commonly requires buyer-side coordination for ritiro presso lo stabilimento in Cina, loading arrangements, export formalities, sea or air freight, destination customs and final delivery.
Rules reference: ICC Incoterms® 2020. This guide is operational information, not legal or tax advice; the signed sales contract and applicable law control the transaction.
EXW places minimum delivery obligations on the seller and a broad logistics scope on the buyer. Any different loading or customs arrangement should be stated clearly in the contract.
| Responsabilità | Seller Under EXW | Buyer Under EXW | Practical China Shipping Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods and commercial invoice | Responsible | Receives documents | Confirm product description, value and seller details before pickup. |
| Export-suitable packaging | Responsible, subject to contract and known transport needs | Communicates special requirements | Domestic cartons may need reinforcement, pallets or crates. |
| Making goods available | Responsible at named place and time | Takes delivery | Supplier contact and cargo-ready confirmation are essential. |
| Loading collecting vehicle | Not required unless separately agreed | Responsible | Confirm forklift, labor, crane, dock and site-access conditions. |
| China domestic transport | Not required | Responsible | Arrange truck transport to warehouse, port or airport. |
| Export customs formalities | Provides requested assistance at buyer’s risk/cost where required by the rule | Responsible under the rule | In practice, the Chinese seller/export-qualified party and local forwarder may need to cooperate. |
| Trasporto merci internazionale | Not required | Responsible | Choose FCL, LCL, air freight or another suitable method. |
| Assicurazione merci | No obligation to insure for buyer | Decides and arranges protection | Risk begins early, so coverage should be reviewed before pickup. |
| Import clearance and taxes | Not required | Responsible | Importer eligibility, duty, VAT/GST and permits depend on destination. |
| Consegna definitiva | Not required | Responsible | Can be coordinated through consegna porta a porta. |
A China-based forwarder can coordinate the buyer’s logistics scope, but the seller must still provide accurate cargo information and cooperate where documents or export formalities require it.
The supplier’s EXW price is only the starting point. Compare the full landed cost before deciding that EXW is cheaper than FOB, FCA, CIF or another term.
The best term depends on transport mode, exporter capability, pickup control and which party can complete origin formalities efficiently.
Seller makes goods available at the named place. Buyer manages loading, export and all onward transportation under the rule.
Useful when: the buyer has strong China origin capabilities and the contractual/export structure is workable.Seller clears the goods for export and delivers to the buyer’s nominated carrier at the named place.
Useful when: containerized or multimodal exports need clearer seller-side export responsibility.Seller clears the goods for export and delivers them onboard the nominated vessel at the named port of shipment.
Useful when: non-containerized maritime or inland-waterway delivery genuinely occurs onboard the vessel.| Point | EXW | FCA | FOB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any transport mode? | Sì | Sì | Sea/inland waterway only |
| Seller clears export? | No, buyer-side obligation under the rule | Sì | Sì |
| Seller loads collecting vehicle? | No, unless agreed | Depends on named place and delivery arrangement | Seller delivers onboard vessel |
| Risk transfer | Goods placed at buyer’s disposal at named point | Delivery to carrier/person at named point | Goods onboard vessel |
For a wider comparison, read BRF’s Incoterms explained guide e EXW vs FOB vs CIF vs DDP.
EXW can give an experienced importer control over the origin freight plan, but it is not automatically the cheapest or simplest term.
You have a China-based forwarder, precise supplier information, a workable export arrangement and clear loading responsibilities.
You are buying from a small factory with limited export capability, the goods need special loading, or several suppliers must be consolidated.
You want the seller to clear export or deliver to a carrier/port. FCA or FOB may allocate origin responsibilities more practically.
BRF can coordinate the operational steps after the supplier makes the cargo available, subject to the sales contract, exporter cooperation, commodity and destination rules.
| EXW Requirement | BRF Logistics Service | Internal Link |
|---|---|---|
| Collect from supplier | Factory pickup and China domestic trucking | China pickup service |
| Receive or combine cargo | Warehouse receiving and multi-supplier consolidation | Raggruppamento delle merci |
| Coordinate export formalities | Document review and China export declaration coordination | Sdoganamento in Cina |
| Move large cargo | FCL, LCL, OOG and project ocean freight | Sea freight from China |
| Move urgent cargo | Standard, priority and door-to-door air cargo | Air freight from China |
| Deliver to consignee | Destination clearance and final delivery coordination where available | Consegna porta a porta |
The buyer pays transportation costs from the agreed EXW delivery point, including loading under the default rule, pickup, origin handling, export formalities, international freight, destination charges, import duties/taxes and final delivery.
Risk normally transfers when the seller places the goods at the buyer’s disposal at the precisely named place and point, on the agreed date or within the agreed period, before loading onto the collecting vehicle.
Not under the default EXW rule. The buyer is responsible for loading. If the supplier will load, record who bears the cost and risk in the contract rather than relying on an informal arrangement.
The buyer bears the export-formality obligation under EXW, but Chinese export procedures may require cooperation from the seller, an export-qualified party and a local logistics provider. Confirm the workable structure before pickup.
The supplier’s EXW price is usually lower because it includes fewer origin services. The total landed cost may not be lower after loading, pickup, export, origin handling and coordination costs are added.
EXW can work for buyers with strong origin capabilities. FCA is often easier for exports because the seller completes export clearance and delivers to the nominated carrier or person at the named place.
Yes. BRF can evaluate separate factory pickups, warehouse receiving and compatible cargo consolidation before FCL, LCL or air freight export.
Provide the full pickup address, supplier contact, loading conditions, product name, HS code if known, packages, dimensions, gross weight, cargo value, ready date, destination postcode and special cargo attributes.
Send BRF the supplier address, cargo details and destination. We can assess factory pickup, export customs, sea or air freight and final delivery.
