Terms of Carriage & Compliance

These terms apply to ocean, air, road, rail and multimodal transport arranged or performed by FSC, as well as related warehousing, customs brokerage and handling services.

If documents conflict, the following order applies: mandatory law and international conventions; a signed service agreement; the bill of lading, sea waybill, air waybill or CMR consignment note; the booking confirmation; and finally these general terms.

Incoterms® 2020, published by the International Chamber of Commerce, set out when risk and cost pass from seller to buyer. They are agreed in the sales contract, not the transport contract, but they decide who books transport, clears customs and insures the goods.

FSC handles each shipment according to the Incoterm our customer confirms at booking. Terms for any mode of transport are EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. Terms only for sea and inland waterway are FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF.

The Merchant must describe the goods accurately, including weight, dimensions, HS code, value and any dangerous or temperature-sensitive nature, and must pack and label them for the intended journey.

For containerised ocean shipments, the shipper must provide the verified gross mass (VGM) under SOLAS Chapter VI before the terminal cut-off. Containers without a VGM cannot be loaded.

FSC's liability for loss or damage is set by the international convention or national law that applies to the stage of transport where the loss happened. If that stage cannot be identified, the limits for the main mode of transport apply.

Liability limits are stated in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), the IMF unit of account. FSC is not liable for indirect or consequential loss such as lost profit or market loss unless mandatory law requires otherwise.

Carrier liability limits are often well below the value of modern cargo. A higher value can be declared on the transport document before shipment, subject to an additional charge and FSC's acceptance.

FSC strongly recommends all-risks cargo insurance. Insurance can be arranged through FSC's cargo insurance service at booking.

Visible loss or damage must be noted on the delivery receipt and reported in writing at delivery. Hidden damage must be reported as soon as it is found and within the time limits below. Keep the goods and packaging available for survey.

Legal proceedings must be started within the time bar of the applicable convention, or the claim is lost.

Dangerous goods are accepted only when declared in advance with the UN number, proper shipping name, class and packing group, and when packed, marked and documented under the rules for each mode.

FSC may refuse, open, unload or dispose of undeclared or unsafe dangerous goods, and the Merchant is liable for resulting loss, fines and costs.

FSC complies with customs, security and trade-control laws in every country it operates in, and expects the same of its customers and partners. Customs brokerage is performed under the authorisation the importer or exporter grants.

FSC screens customers, parties and shipments against applicable sanctions lists, including those of the UN, EU, UK and US, and will not handle goods or parties that breach sanctions or export-control rules.

Freight is earned when goods are received, and charges are payable without set-off. FSC has a lien over goods and documents for any unpaid amounts and may sell goods to recover them where the law allows.

Schedules and transit times are estimates. FSC is not liable for delay except where an applicable convention or a written agreement says otherwise. Free time at terminals and depots is shown on the booking; demurrage, detention and storage apply after it ends.

FSC is not liable for failures caused by events beyond its reasonable control, such as war, piracy, strikes, port closures, extreme weather, epidemics or government action. FSC may re-route, store or discharge cargo at the nearest safe place.

Unless the transport document says otherwise, these terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales and disputes are referred to the courts of London, without affecting mandatory rules of the convention that applies.

For questions about these terms, contact legal@fastsafecargo.com. For claims, contact claims@fastsafecargo.com. For compliance concerns, including possible sanctions or bribery issues, contact compliance@fastsafecargo.com or use FSC's whistleblowing channel.