FIO / FIOST

Free-In-and-Out (FIO) and Free-In-Out-Stowed-Trimmed (FIOST) clauses transfer the cost and responsibility for cargo handling from the shipowner to the charterer. Under FIO, loading and discharging are at the charterer's expense; the variant FIOST adds stowage and trimming for grain and similar bulk cargoes. The clauses are routinely incorporated in voyage charters via BIMCO standard library wording or recap. The shift in handling responsibility affects laytime calculation (when notice of readiness can be tendered), liability for damage during loading, and the master's right to claim for inadequate stowage.