a commercial abbreviation, literally meaning EX Works, a Latin/English composite that, in turn, means "From the premises". In purchase agreements and contracts, it means that the goods are to be made available at the seller's premises. It is the purchaser's responsibility to collect the goods and ship them at his own risk. This is probably the minimum level of obligation for the seller, as it excludes all costs of freight, insurance, export duty - the seller is not even supposed to load the goods on the truck, as it where.
I hear that buying EXW is not so frequent; it normally indicates that the purchaser wants or the goods warrant some special means of transportation that the seller is not willing to organize.
Terms of Purchase: FAS, FOB, c.i.f, EXW, DDP, FCA, CPT