INCOTERMS 2020 are the eleven international trade rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce. For any sale of goods they settle three questions: where delivery happens, when risk passes from seller to buyer, and who pays each cost along the way. This course teaches every rule with the New Zealand legal and customs context that applies to your shipments.
Who is this course for?
It is written for the people who live with these three letters every week: importers and exporters structuring real shipments, procurement, logistics, freight forwarding and customs staff, and the sales and finance people who sign off trade contracts.
You do not need prior knowledge. The course starts from first principles, and every rule is explained in full before it is used. If you have traded for years but never had the rules laid out cleanly, this is the version that finally makes them stick.
Why it matters
One misread term, one stuck container
INCOTERMS are only three letters, but they decide who carries the risk, who pays for what, and where delivery is complete. Tap each card to see how it goes wrong.
Tap or select a card to flip it.
What you will be able to do
By the end of the course you will reach for the right term automatically, and you will be able to explain why.
- Place delivery, risk and cost correctly for any of the eleven INCOTERMS 2020 rules.
- Choose the right term for the cargo, the mode and the counterparty, using a five question framework.
- Avoid the two costliest errors: FOB on containers, and DDP without importer of record capability.
- Read a contract, invoice, Bill of Lading and insurance certificate as one consistent set, and spot the contradictions before the bank does.
- Understand what INCOTERMS do not govern, and how they sit alongside New Zealand law and the CISG.
- State every term correctly: term, named place, INCOTERMS 2020, every time.
The signature tool
The Cost and Risk Transfer Visualiser.
Pick any rule and watch exactly where cost stops and where risk passes, on a real shipping journey. The four rules where the two split, CPT, CIP, CFR and CIF, are where most disputes start, and this is where it finally clicks.
Seven chapters, every rule, end to end
Each chapter builds on the last and finishes with an assessment at an 80 percent pass mark, with model answers and unlimited re-sits.
- Foundations and why it mattersWhat INCOTERMS are, the two families, and the real cost of getting them wrong
- How INCO Terms workDelivery, risk and cost as three separate questions, plus the visualiser
- The seven any-mode rulesEXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP, with a worked scenario for each
- The four sea and inland waterway rulesFAS, FOB, CFR and CIF, and the FOB containerisation trap
- INCO Terms in your documentsInvoice, Bill of Lading and insurance certificate, and the four-step consistency check
- Legal enforceability and the NZ contextWhat INCOTERMS do not govern, NZ legislation, and the CISG
- Putting it all togetherThe selection framework, a full capstone scenario, and your reference toolkit
Your contract, invoice, Bill of Lading and insurance certificate all have to say the same thing. Chapter five teaches the four-step consistency check that catches the contradictions before the bank does.
How you learn
Short animated explainers on the highest-stakes ideas, with questions built into the video so you stay sharp. Every lesson has a hands-on activity you complete before moving on: drag, match, sort, branch and decide. Real New Zealand trade examples, New Zealand ports, and the legal and customs context that actually applies to you.
Finish at the 80 percent standard and you earn your INCO Terms 2020 Practitioner certificate.
Stop guessing on trade terms
$179 per person self-paced, certificate on completion
Enrol through the training store and work through it at your own pace. Practical, interactive, and built for New Zealand importers and exporters.
Self-paced · 33 lessons · Practitioner certificate at the 80 percent standard
Common questions
How long does the INCOTERMS course take?
It is self-paced. The 33 lessons are short and focused, so you can work through a chapter in one sitting or spread the course over a few weeks. Your progress is saved as you go.
Do I need any prior knowledge of international trade?
No. The course starts from first principles and builds up. Every term is explained in full before it is used, so newcomers and experienced traders both get value from it.
Is the course specific to New Zealand?
Yes. INCOTERMS 2020 are international rules, but the examples, ports, and the legal and customs context are written for New Zealand importers and exporters.
How does the certificate work?
Each chapter has an assessment with an 80 percent pass mark and unlimited re-sits. Complete the course at that standard and you earn your INCO Terms 2020 Practitioner certificate.
Which eleven rules does the course cover?
All of them: EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP for any mode of transport, plus FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF for sea and inland waterway transport.
Is this legal advice?
No. The course covers general principles and practical application. The legal chapter is for orientation only and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified New Zealand commercial lawyer on a specific transaction.
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