FAS (Free Alongside Ship)

FAS requires the seller to place the goods alongside the nominated vessel — on the quay or on a barge within reach of the ship's tackle — and to clear them for export. Risk passes there, before loading, which is the single line separating FAS from FOB. It is a niche rule used almost exclusively for bulk and breakbulk commodities such as grain, timber, or heavy project pieces, where the cargo is genuinely delivered to the quayside and loading is a distinct operation the buyer controls. FAS is unsuitable for containerised cargo, which is handed over at a terminal and never sits alongside a named ship.