Export quotation format: 14 fields and a template to copy
Key takeaways
- Make it comparable. Buyers put quotations side by side, so a missing field can lose you the comparison.
- Name the place. An Incoterm without a named place isn't a full delivery term [2].
- Set a validity date. It protects you when prices move [1].
- Quote against a spec. A price for "turmeric" means nothing without the grade.
What should an export quotation include?
Start with the list the US government gives its own exporters. The International Trade Administration lists these points for a quotation and a proforma invoice: seller, buyer, buyer's reference, items, unit and total prices, weights and dimensions, discounts, the Incoterm with its delivery point, payment terms, estimated shipping date and validity date [1].
For food exports, we add the grade, HS code and currency. That gives 14 fields:
| # | Field | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seller | Legal name, address, contact person, IEC |
| 2 | Buyer | Legal name and address |
| 3 | Quotation number and date | So both sides can refer to it |
| 4 | Buyer's reference | Their enquiry number or email date |
| 5 | Product and grade | Dehydrated red onion flakes, grade [__], as per spec sheet version [date] or approved sample lot [number] |
| 6 | HS code | Your ITC (HS) line, confirmed with your CHA |
| 7 | Quantity | In kg or tonnes, container load if relevant, and your minimum order |
| 8 | Unit price and total | Per kg or per tonne, with the total |
| 9 | Currency | USD, EUR or AED. Say which |
| 10 | Packing and weights | Bag type, net and gross weight, bags per container |
| 11 | Incoterm and named place | FOB Nhava Sheva, India, Incoterms 2020 |
| 12 | Payment terms | For example, [__]% advance and the balance against documents |
| 13 | Estimated shipping date | A week or a date range after order confirmation |
| 14 | Validity date | "Valid until 30 November 2026" |
Add discounts if you offer them, and show them as a separate line [1].
Template: export quotation
Copy this into your letterhead, and send it as a PDF.
QUOTATION No. [number], Date: [date]
From: [Company legal name], [address], India. IEC: [number]. Contact: [name, email, phone]
To: [Buyer legal name], [address], [country]
Your reference: [enquiry number or date]Product: [product, form, grade], as per attached spec sheet version [date]
HS code: [ITC (HS) line]
Origin: India
Quantity: [__] kg, [container size if relevant]
Unit price: [currency] [__] per [kg / tonne]
Total: [currency] [__]
Packing: [bag type], [__] kg net, [__] bags, gross weight [__] kg
Delivery term: [FOB / CIF] [named port], Incoterms 2020
Payment: [terms]
Estimated shipment: [__] days after order confirmation and advance
Documents: [invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, lab report]
Valid until: [date][Name], [Role], [Company]
Quoting against a sample? If the buyer approved one, name its lot number. Our guide on sending export samples explains why the approved lot becomes the reference for the first order.
How do you state the delivery term?
Write the rule, the place and the Incoterms version. Each rule needs a place inserted after it. FOB takes a named port of loading, and CIF takes a named port of destination [2].
| Weak | Better |
|---|---|
| FOB India | FOB Mundra, India, Incoterms 2020 |
| CIF Dubai | CIF Jebel Ali, UAE, Incoterms 2020 |
| Delivered | The exact rule and the named place |
FOB and CIF are for sea and inland waterway transport [2]. For air freight or courier, ask your forwarder which rule fits. ICC's Incoterms 2020 rules are the reference [3].
Quotation or proforma invoice?
They hold much the same information, but they do different jobs. A proforma invoice is a quote in invoice format. A buyer may need it to apply for an import licence, open a letter of credit or arrange a currency transfer [1].
| Quotation | Proforma invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| When | While the buyer is comparing suppliers | When the buyer is ready to proceed |
| Job | Win the comparison | Support the buyer's bank and import paperwork |
| Changes | Revise and reissue with a new number | Not without the buyer's consent [1] |
Which mistakes lose the order?
- No grade. A low price for an unstated grade looks like a trap. Attach the spec sheet you are quoting against.
- No validity date. The buyer can come back months later and hold you to the price.
- A vague term. "FOB India" leaves the port open, and with it your costs.
- Missing weights. The buyer can't work out freight or a container load.
- Wrong HS code. Use the official line. Our turmeric HS code guide shows how to check one [4].
- Changing the price without a new number. Two versions under one number cause disputes.
- Price alone. If you aren't the cheapest, one line on what the price includes, such as a tested lot and your packing, gives the buyer a reason to compare.
What happens after you send it?
Ask one clear question in the email, such as "Does this match the grade you need?" Then follow up on a set date. Our follow-up templates give the timing and the wording.
Next step. A buyer comparing quotations will look up each supplier. Our free Buyer Check is a 1-page report on your Google listing, website and spec gaps, with the 3 fixes that matter most, within 24 hours.
Sources
- Pro Forma Invoice, International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce
- Know Your Incoterms, International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce
- Incoterms 2020, International Chamber of Commerce
- Trade classification: ITC (HS) codes for spices, Spices Board India
Checked 7 November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.