Terms of sale can be thought of as sitting on a sliding scale of responsibilities, which are split between buyers and sellers according to the Incoterms rules.

At one end, risk and cost are loaded towards the buyer, and at the other end they fall mainly with the seller. The principal consideration is who arranges and pays for the main carriage.

Under FCA, the buyer is responsible for arranging the main carriage, and the risk or loss or damage during transit passes from the seller to the buyer just before that carriage commences, typically at or relatively close to the seller’s premises in the country of origin.