Incoterms 2025 and Brazil: what is known about the next revision and what still applies

There are no Incoterms 2025. The rules in force are Incoterms 2020, published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and valid since 1 January 2020. In its 2026 workplan, the ICC announced it would begin the revision, laying the groundwork for Incoterms 2030. There is still no new text and no launch date.

Even so, "Incoterms 2025" and "Incoterms 2026" keep showing up in courses, spreadsheets and sales proposals, including those exchanged with Brazilian buyers and suppliers. If a supplier sent you a proforma citing one of those versions, or you are unsure which year to write into a contract, here is what the ICC has actually published.

Is there an Incoterms 2025 or 2026?

No. The ICC is the owner, author and official publisher of the rules, and "Incoterms" is its registered trademark. No edition has been published since 2020. Any material describing "new Incoterms 2025" is describing something the ICC has not released.

This is not new. In May 2019, the ICC warned that search results cited non-existent publications, from "Incoterms 2011" to "Incoterms 2019", and that websites unconnected to the organisation were selling training on rules not yet launched. The advice from back then still holds: be wary of material without the ® symbol and without a reference to the ICC as trademark owner.

What has the ICC announced about the next revision?

One line, but an official one. The Global Policy Commissions Workplan 2026, published in January, lists among its commercial law and practice goals to "begin work on the revision of the Incoterms rules, laying the groundwork for Incoterms 2030". Source: ICC, Global Policy Commissions Workplan 2026.

The same document includes two goals that hint at the direction: monitoring new technologies to support the use of ICC tools in an increasingly digital trading ecosystem, and championing the modernisation of legal frameworks to enable the digitalisation of cross-border trade. As of October 2026, there is no public draft, list of changes or consultation timetable.

The table below shows how the last revisions unfolded, based on the ICC's own announcements.

If the 2020 cycle is a guide, it took about three years from forming the group to launch. The ICC says the rules are revised roughly once a decade.

What changes in your contracts until then?

Nothing. Each contract is governed by the version of the Incoterms rules it refers to, according to the ICC Academy. Best practice is to always write the latest edition, "Incoterms 2020", next to the rule and the place: "FCA Viracopos Airport, Incoterms 2020".

If a contract only says "Incoterms", without a year, the version in force when it was signed would most likely apply in a dispute. That is an unnecessary gamble. Older contracts citing "Incoterms 2010" remain valid on the terms the parties chose; review them when they come up for renewal.

A common case: an annual supply contract signed in 2018 on "CIP Santos, Incoterms 2010" terms still only requires the seller to provide Clause C insurance cover, because that was the rule in that edition. If the buyer wants the broader cover of the 2020 edition, it has to negotiate the change at renewal. Nobody gains that right just because the ICC published a newer version.

What does the 2020 revision teach about the next one?

That the ICC changes what practice has already changed. In 2020, the main amendments were these:

• FCA began allowing the buyer to instruct the carrier to issue an on-board bill of lading to the seller, which helps those paying by letter of credit;
• CIP began requiring Clause A insurance, broader than CIF's, as the guide to the CIP Incoterm in Brazil explains;
• DAT became DPU, making it clear that the destination can be any place, not just a terminal;
• each rule gained transport security obligations, and all costs were gathered in articles A9 and B9.

Source: ICC, official Incoterms 2020 page. None of these changes pulled rules out of use overnight. There were months between the launch, in September 2019, and entry into force.

How can you prepare now?

You do not need to wait for 2030 to do useful work. The order below starts with what causes the most disputes:

1. Review contracts and proposals that cite Incoterms without a year, or with a year that does not exist, and correct them to "Incoterms 2020".
2. Check that the rule matches the transport mode. FOB and FAS are for vessels only; for containers, air cargo and road freight, the FCA Incoterm is usually the right choice.
3. Check Brazil's restrictions. According to the ICC report on national regulatory barriers, updated in January 2025, DDP cannot be used for imports into Brazil, because a foreign seller is not allowed to carry out import clearance.
4. Make it clear who pays a new tariff. Under the ICC guidance note of April 2025, DDP is the only rule in which the seller pays import duties; under the other ten, the cost falls on the buyer. The topic is covered in who pays the tariffs on imports.
5. Follow only official ICC sources on the revision, and be wary of anyone announcing new rules before the ICC does.

If your team needs a shared baseline for this work, the guide to what Incoterms are explains the 11 rules with examples.

Frequently asked questions about Incoterms 2025 and the next revision

Sources

• ICC: Global Policy Commissions Workplan 2026
• ICC: ICC announces launch date for Incoterms® 2020, junho de 2019
• ICC: 3 ways to spot fake Incoterms® rules information, maio de 2019
• ICC: Incoterms® rules
• ICC: Incoterms® 2020
• ICC Academy: Incoterms® 2020 vs 2010: what's changed?
• ICC: National regulatory barriers to the Incoterms® 2020 rules, janeiro de 2025
• ICC: Using the Incoterms® 2020 rules to manage tariff risk, abril de 2025

How do you keep shipments on track while the rules stay the same?

Until the next revision arrives, the gains come from well-written contracts and partners that deliver what the rule promises. For express shipments to and from Brazil, with pickup, export clearance and tracking from start to finish, choosing the rule gets simpler when transport is predictable.

To quote your company's international shipments and keep the paperwork in one place, open a DHL Express business account.