Why do buyers go quiet after the first quotation?

Most often because the quotation could not be compared. If the unit, the Incoterm or the validity is missing, the buyer cannot line you up against the others and moves on. The next most common reasons are a lead time that misses their season, a minimum order quantity above what they asked for that was not explained, and a missing certification their market requires. A short follow-up that asks which of those it was, rather than repeating the offer, gets an answer often enough to be worth sending once.

Does my HS code have to match the buyer's?

They frequently differ, and it is the buyer's import classification that sets the duty. The first six digits are harmonised internationally, but each country adds its own further digits, and the same goods can legitimately sit under different national subheadings. Confirm the code the buyer intends to use before shipment, because a mismatch between your export declaration and their import entry causes delays and can trigger a query on value. Where the classification is open to argument, the buyer can apply for a binding or advance ruling in their own country.

Should I send free samples?

Send a sample when there is a specific requirement behind it and the buyer has given you enough commercial detail to price against. Charging for the sample and the courier, and offering to credit that cost against a first order, filters out sample collectors without insulting a serious buyer. Distinguish a stock sample, which shows what you normally make, from a pre-production sample made to the buyer's specification, which is the one worth formally approving. Keep a sealed, dated counter-sample so there is a physical reference if the shipment is later disputed.

A buyer wants exclusivity or a distributorship. How should I handle it?

Treat exclusivity as something bought with volume, not granted with hope. If you agree to it, tie it to a minimum annual purchase, a defined territory, a fixed term, and an automatic reversion to non-exclusive if the volume is missed, and put it in writing before the first order rather than after. Be careful with requests for exclusivity before any trading history, and be careful about registering trademarks or product approvals in the distributor's name rather than your own, because that is difficult and expensive to unwind if the relationship ends.

What should a first reply to a buying requirement contain?

Answer the buyer's stated quantity, specification and delivery point directly, then give price and currency, the Incoterm with the named port or place, minimum order quantity, packing and units per carton, lead time measured from a stated event, payment terms and how long the offer is valid. Add a short numbered list of anything the requirement left blank that you need in order to firm the price. Do not lead with a company introduction and a catalogue; buyers comparing several suppliers read the numbers first.

The buyer has not stated an Incoterm. What should I quote?

Quote FOB at the port you normally ship from, and offer CFR or CIF to their nearest main port as an alternative in the same message. FOB is the cleanest basis for a buyer comparing suppliers, and offering the freight-inclusive alternative shows you can handle the shipment if they would rather you did. Always name the port or place after the term. Be cautious about volunteering DAP or DDP to a new buyer, since those put freight risk, and with DDP import duty and clearance, on you in a country whose rules you may not know.

How do I tell whether a buying requirement is real?

Look for a specific specification rather than a bare category name, a quantity that is realistic for the product, a named delivery place, a stated timeframe, and a company you can find in an independent register. Then ask two or three precise questions and see what comes back. Real buyers answer a numbered list. Requests that are only for your lowest price with no volume, or for free samples before any commercial detail, are usually not worth a full quotation, though they can still be worth a short standard reply.

What payment terms should I offer a buyer I have not dealt with before?

Something that splits the risk. A deposit with the balance against shipping documents is the common first-order structure; a documentary letter of credit suits larger values, provided you check that every document it calls for is one you can actually produce within the dates it sets. Documents against payment gives more protection than documents against acceptance. Reserve open account terms for buyers with a payment history, and where you do want to extend credit to a new buyer, credit insurance is usually cheaper than the discount you would give for cash in advance.

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List of Lithium Buyers in China - Directory of Metal & Metal Products Import Requirements

Global Trade Plaza is a B2B marketplace connecting wholesale Lithium buyers and importers from China with exporters, manufacturers and suppliers, with support on logistics, customs and compliance.

Buyers in China have posted 11 Lithium requirements here, each naming the Lithium quantity the importer wants. Every Lithium requirement here was posted under Metal & Metal Products, not pulled from the wider China lead list. Read each Lithium specification before pricing it, because China requirements vary widely in grade and volume.

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Lithium Ore, Spodumene, Concentrate

Ore Spodumene Concentrate Carbonate For end buyers in China and Korea (FOB, CIF) -Trial amount followed by main order- 1 fcl

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2026-05-30

Lithium Spodumene

Grade : Battery Grade Qty : 30,000 MT/Month 12 Months with R & E

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2026-05-30

Lithium Concentrate

Type: 4.5% Min And 5.5% Min Quantity: 5 Containers Initially

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2026-04-23

Ore Like Lithium Ore

Type: Bauxite Ore And Iron Ore

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2025-07-28

Ore Like Lithium Ore

Type: Iron Ore Need Fe 62% From South Africa, Trial 50k MT CIF China by DLC. Supplier Has To Offer Recent Sgs,b/l, Please Quote Best Platt Discount Ci.....show more

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2025-07-28

Ore Like Lithium Ore

Qty: 100.000 MT with a trail for 1000 MT

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2025-07-28

Ore Like Lithium Ore

Type: Low Alumina Iron Ore Fines Fe 54%~57% Fe54-57% AI2O3 3% SiO2 8% P 0.02% S 0.1% Moisture 10%

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2025-07-28

Lithium Ore, Micaâ‰¤3.0%, Feâ‰¤1.0%, Size

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2025-07-17

Lithium Spodumene Concentrate

Quantity: 10,000 MT per month contracted with rolls and extensions and with the ability to increase to 40,000 MT when required. Attached is CIS from G.....show more

Company

XXXXXXXXXXX

Buyer contact

XXXXXXXXXXX

Requested on

2025-07-05