What is FIOST (Free In/Out, Stowed, and Trimmed)?

FIOST, one of the Liner Terms, stands for Free In/Out, Stowed, and Trimmed. Liner Terms are generally used to distribute the share-out of particular freight charges between the ship/vessel owner and the charterer in the context of shipping bulk cargo via sea.


As with other widely applied Liner Terms, FIOST is often seen in charter parties to define whether the ship owner will be responsible for specific freight costs relating to cargo loading and unloading. 


Under the FIOST term, the cost of loading the vessel at the port of departure, the cost of unloading the vessel at the port of destination, the cost of stowage of the cargo in the vessel, and the cost of trimming of the cargo in the vessel will not be borne by the ship owner. In other words, it falls upon the charterer to cover the above-mentioned costs: loading, unloading, stowage, and trimming. 


For your information, stowage refers to storing cargo in boxes, barrels, cartons, or crates to ensure the cargo is safely stored in the vessel's hold. Trimming means distributing cargo evenly so that the ship can reach the optimal balance in terms of cargo weight.