CIF
What it is
Under CIF the seller pays freight and insurance to the named destination port, but risk still passes at the port of shipment. In short: the cost travels further, the risk does not.
Why it matters
CIF is convenient: one number tells you what it costs to reach the port. It is also the easiest term to misread as 'seller owns it until arrival'. Unloading, clearance, duty and delivery at destination remain the buyer's account.
Three points
- CIF insurance is usually minimum cover; higher protection must be bought separately
- CIF ends at the destination port, not at terminal charges, clearance or delivery
- Risk passes at the port of shipment, so damage claims go to the insurer, not the seller
Three common traps
- Treating CIF as DDP and discovering clearance and duty at arrival
- Leaving the policy beneficiary as the seller, which lengthens any claim
- Comparing CIF with DDP directly — a whole destination-cost block sits between them
What we do about it
Our CIF quotes list what is still missing to reach your door and state the insurance cover level. If what you actually want is a delivered price, we quote DDP instead of letting you guess from CIF.
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