caf

IPA/kˈaf/
IPA/kˈæf/

caf — abbreviation

1. a term used in international trade contracts meaning the seller pays the cost of

1.abbreviationB2
Definition

a term used in international trade contracts meaning the seller pays the cost of transporting goods to a named port of destination, while the buyer takes responsibility for the goods once they are loaded onto the ship and must pay for any insurance.

Example

The supplier quoted a CAF price of US$5,000 for delivery to Kaohsiung.

CAF + price quote with specific amount and destination

Under CAF terms, the seller arranges transport to the destination port.

under CAF terms — prepositional phrase before the subject

Common collocations
  • CAF price
  • CAF terms
  • CAF conditions
  • on CAF basis
  • CAF destination
  • CAF port
  • CAF contract
  • CAF quotation
  • CAF invoice
Synonyms
  • CFR

    the modern Incoterms replacement for CAF, with the same allocation of cost and risk but updated documentation requirements

  • C&F

    an alternative written form using an ampersand, common in older documents and invoices

Grammar Patterns

CAF + [price]

on/under + CAF + terms

Usage Note

CAF is an older abbreviation that has been largely replaced by CFR (Cost and Freight) in modern Incoterms rules, but it still appears in existing contracts and older trade documents. Never use CAF to mean 'cost, insurance, and freight' (that is CIF).

Common Mistakes

The CAF price includes insurance coverage.
The CAF price covers cost and freight only; insurance is the buyer's responsibility.
CAF does not include insurance; that is what CIF is for.
Under CAF, the seller takes all risk until the goods arrive at the destination.
Under CAF, risk transfers to the buyer once the goods are loaded onto the ship.
Risk passes at the port of loading, not at the destination.

Etymology

EnglishLatin (via 'et' in 'and')

CAF is an initialism formed from the first letters of 'Cost And Freight'. The term emerged in international trade law as a standard abbreviation on shipping documents and invoices, later formalised in the Incoterms rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce. Although modern Incoterms use CFR instead, CAF and C&F remain common in trade documentation across Asia and other regions.