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.

What documents will the importer need from me?

A commercial invoice, a packing list and the transport document are the routine core. Beyond that it depends on the destination market and can include a certificate of origin or a preferential origin declaration under a trade agreement, an inspection or analysis certificate, a sanitary or phytosanitary certificate, a fumigation certificate, a conformity or test report, or an import licence the buyer obtains themselves. Ask the buyer to list what they need, confirm which of those you can issue, and make sure the description, value, consignee and marks agree across every document.

The quantity asked for is far above or below what I can supply. Should I still reply?

Yes, and say so plainly. If it is below your minimum, state your minimum and offer the nearest quantity you can serve, with the reason, since a buyer testing the market often has a larger requirement behind the first one. If it is far above your capacity, offer a part of it against a stated delivery schedule rather than declining or overcommitting. Both replies are normal commercial answers. Silence and a quiet overcommitment are the two responses that cost you the relationship.

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.

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List of Cotton Linen Fabric Buyers in Sri Lanka - Directory of Garment & Fashion Accessories Import Requirements

Global Trade Plaza is a B2B marketplace connecting wholesale Cotton Linen Fabric buyers and importers from Sri Lanka with exporters, manufacturers and suppliers, with support on logistics, customs and compliance.

Exporting Cotton Linen Fabric? 32 live Cotton Linen Fabric requirements from Sri Lanka are open to quote right now. Filter to the Cotton Linen Fabric requests you can supply, then answer each Sri Lanka buyer with a full quotation.