CY/CY, CY/CFS and CFS/CFS: Shipping Terms Explained
CY/CY, CY/CFS and CFS/CFS indicate where cargo is received and delivered, and whether it is handed over in a container or as individual cargo units. These terms help establish who arranges container loading and unloading, what equipment is needed for collection and which operations belong in the quotation.
For businesses importing into Ukraine through an overseas port, the distinction matters. A container may arrive at a marine terminal while your shipment is made available at a different warehouse. Before booking, agree on the exact collection point and the onward delivery arrangements.
What CY and CFS mean
CY stands for Container Yard, a facility that receives, holds and releases containers. It may be a marine terminal or an agreed inland container terminal. The abbreviation alone therefore does not identify a particular port or address.
CFS stands for Container Freight Station, a facility where cargo is received as individual units and packed into containers, or unpacked from containers for collection. Those units may be pallets, crates or cartons. Collection outside a container does not mean the goods are unprotected or unpackaged.
The first abbreviation concerns receipt at origin; the second concerns delivery at destination. Both must be read in the context of the specific service and transport contract.
Service term | Receipt at origin | Delivery at destination |
|---|---|---|
CY/CY | A loaded container at the agreed CY | A container at the agreed CY |
CY/CFS | A loaded container at the agreed CY | Cargo units after unpacking at the CFS |
CFS/CFS | Cargo units at the agreed CFS | Cargo units after unpacking at the CFS |
The reverse combination, CFS/CY, is also used: individual shipments are received and packed into a container at origin, while the container is delivered intact at destination. Specify the operations and the parties carrying them out in the service order.
How the three shipping arrangements work
CY/CY: container receipt and collection at a yard
In a typical arrangement, the shipper organises container loading and delivery to the nominated CY. After transport, the consignee or its contractor collects the container from the destination CY. Unloading at the consignee’s premises and returning the empty equipment must be arranged within the agreed time limits.
If the container will continue from the port to Ukraine, plan road container transport in advance: a suitable container truck, the unloading address and the empty return location. The CY/CY notation alone does not confirm that this inland leg is included in the quotation.
CY/CFS: ship a container and collect cargo units
A loaded container is handed over at origin. At destination, the service provides for movement to the agreed CFS, unpacking and release of the cargo units. This can support distribution to several consignees or an onward journey using a conventional goods vehicle.
Confirm the CFS address, how shipments will be separated and when the cargo will be available. Do not infer the number of consignees from the abbreviation alone: check the shipment details and documents. Container unpacking also does not establish that sorting by product code, repacking or delivery to each customer is included in the price.
CFS/CFS: warehouse handover at both ends
The shipper delivers the prepared consignment to a CFS. It is packed into a container shipment and later unpacked at the destination CFS for collection. This arrangement is commonly associated with LCL shipments.
For cargo consolidation, package markings, dimensions, weight and stackability are important. They help the warehouse receive the goods correctly and distinguish them from other consignments. Agree on any special cargo requirements and confirm that the necessary handling services are available before delivery to the facility.
How CY/CFS differs from FCL/LCL and Incoterms
FCL and LCL describe the container shipment format. CY and CFS clarify receipt and delivery. Familiar associations such as CY/CY with FCL and CFS/CFS with LCL are useful guides, but they do not replace checking the service order. The economics of a dedicated container and a shared shipment are covered separately in our article on choosing between FCL and LCL.
Incoterms allocate obligations, costs and risks between the seller and buyer under the sales contract. CY/CY or CFS/CFS does not replace the agreed Incoterms rule or automatically determine when risk passes between those parties. Both types of term may appear in the documents because they address different relationships.
What to check in the booking and bill of lading
Compare the service term with the booking confirmation, agreed quotation and draft Bill of Lading. Review the Place of Receipt, Port of Loading, Port of Discharge and Place of Delivery fields where applicable. The port where the vessel discharges the container may differ from the location where your cargo is delivered.
When using a forwarder, also establish which document the term belongs to: the shipping line’s Master B/L or the House B/L for your consignment. They may cover different contractual legs. Do not apply a notation from one document to the entire delivery without checking the agreed scope.
Obtain written confirmation of the terminal or warehouse name, full address, agent’s contact details and collection arrangements. Descriptions such as “to port” or “to warehouse” are too broad for booking onward transport or comparing quotations.
Which costs to clarify before accepting a rate
The service term describes receipt and delivery operations; it does not establish that every associated charge is included in a single price. The quotation should make clear the ocean freight, terminal handling, movement between CY and CFS, container unpacking, cargo handling and warehouse release charges that apply to the service.
Confirm customs services, onward delivery, insurance and special operations separately. For each additional item, identify the payer, charging unit and event that triggers the charge. This makes it easier to distinguish agreed costs from work that will only be needed in particular circumstances.
Warehouse storage of a consignment and demurrage and detention should not be treated as the same service. For CFS collection, confirm the free storage period and when it starts. For container collection, check the applicable equipment use and return conditions. CY/CFS does not imply a universal number of free days.
For a route through a European port, coordinate port forwarding in Europe and Ukraine with the inland leg. The quotation should identify who manages the handovers between the terminal, warehouse and road carrier.
A practical example of delivery through a European port
Consider a hypothetical Ukrainian importer purchasing a consignment packed in a dedicated container for delivery to its warehouse. The importer receives a CY/CY offer to a European terminal and a CY/CFS offer to a cargo handling facility in the same region. This illustrates a scope comparison, rather than a completed shipment or a current tariff.
Under the CY/CY option, container collection, unloading at the consignee’s premises and empty return must be organised after terminal release. Under CY/CFS, confirm the transfer to the named warehouse, container unpacking, shipment release and onward road transport of the cargo units.
Request both calculations to the same final point: the importer’s warehouse in Ukraine. Include the necessary customs or transit procedures, handling and inland transport. A lower rate to CY does not necessarily mean a lower total cost, while delivery at CFS does not amount to delivery to the consignee’s door.
What to agree before handing over the cargo
1. Handover points. Record the CY or CFS addresses at both ends and the final warehouse if onward delivery is required.
2. Collection format. Confirm whether the collecting carrier will receive a container or individual pallets, crates and cartons.
3. Shipment details. Provide the number of packages, weight, dimensions, packaging and handling restrictions.
4. Timing. Check cargo or container receiving arrangements, availability for collection and the deadlines for the specific booking.
5. Costs and responsibilities. Identify included operations, additional charges and the party responsible for each leg.
6. Handover records. Agree on receipt and release confirmations and the procedure for recording packaging condition and package-count discrepancies.
Check SI Cut-off, VGM Cut-off and CY Cut-off separately: a service term does not specify the receiving deadline. For CFS collection, use confirmed availability of your consignment when planning transport, rather than the vessel’s arrival date alone.
Plan your shipment with Save Pro Solutions
Save Pro Solutions organises ocean container shipping for businesses. Send the route, commodity description, weight, volume, package dimensions, cargo readiness date and Incoterms. If you already have a quotation or booking confirmation, include it so that handover locations, required operations and onward delivery to Ukraine can be agreed.
