EXW

Ex Works — the seller makes goods available at their premises; the buyer bears all transport, export clearance and risk from the factory gate.

Trade term

TL;DR: This term is one of 28 definitions in the China–GCC freight glossary, so the signal is the number it changes — not the acronym. It sits in the Trade term category and links to 3 related terms for adjacent freight math. Use the example below to turn the definition into a before/after calculation before you quote or clear cargo.

What it means

EXW (Ex Works) is the minimum-obligation term for the seller and the maximum burden for the buyer. The seller simply makes the goods available at their factory or warehouse; the buyer is responsible for everything after that — inland collection, export clearance in China, ocean or air freight, import clearance and final delivery. EXW quotes look cheap because they exclude all logistics, but that saving is an illusion for a GCC buyer: without a China-side agent you cannot even legally export the goods, since Chinese export clearance must be done by a registered entity. On the China-to-GCC lane EXW only makes sense if you already have a forwarder with a China office that can pick up, clear export and ship for you.

Why it matters on the China–GCC route

EXW is the cheapest-looking but most burden-heavy term — it only works for a GCC buyer who already has a forwarder with China-side export capability.

Example

A Qatari buyer quoted EXW Shenzhen must arrange a China forwarder to collect from the factory, clear export and ship to Hamad Port — otherwise the goods never leave China.

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EXW

What it means

Why it matters on the China–GCC route

Example

Related terms

FOB

Incoterms

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