What an export quotation has to answer
An export quotation is your written offer to a buyer in another country. Besides the price, it has to answer the questions a domestic quote never raises: which currency, which Incoterms® 2020 rule the price is based on, who pays freight and insurance, how the goods will be packed, how the buyer pays, and how long the offer stands. The U.S. International Trade Administration lists the same points for a pro forma invoice: seller and buyer, the buyer's reference, products, unit and extended prices, weights and dimensions, discounts, the sales term with its delivery point, payment terms, estimated shipping date and a validity date.
The generator above is built around that list. Every goods line carries an HS code, country of origin, number of packages, net and gross weight and volume, and the packing totals are added up for you, because the buyer's freight forwarder will ask for exactly those numbers before quoting a shipment.
How to fill in an export quotation
- Start from the buyer's request. Copy their RFQ or enquiry number into Buyer reference, and use their product names, quantities and destination so they can match your offer to their request.
- Enter both companies in full. Legal company names, full addresses with country, and a contact. Banks and customs brokers match names letter by letter later, so write them the way they will appear on the contract.
- Number and date the document, and set a validity. Thirty days is common; use a shorter period when the price includes ocean freight or depends on a volatile exchange rate. The 30 / 60 / 90 buttons count from the issue date.
- Describe each product precisely. Add model, material and size. Add the HS code: the first six digits are shared by the countries that use the Harmonized System, and the importing country adds more, so ask the buyer's broker to confirm the full tariff code. Add the country of origin; it can change the duty rate.
- Give packing for each line. Packages, net weight, gross weight and volume of the whole line. The summary bar and the document show the totals, so the buyer can book space and estimate freight.
- Pick the Incoterms® rule and the named place, then add only the charges that rule puts on you. FCA and FOB stop at the origin; CFR and CPT add the main freight; CIF and CIP add freight and insurance; DAP, DPU and DDP take you to the destination. The form warns when freight or insurance does not fit the rule.
- State payment and delivery terms that start a clock. "30% T/T deposit, 70% against copy of B/L" and "30 days after deposit" are clear; "fast delivery" is not.
- Check the preview, then download the PDF or print. Save a draft to reuse it. When the buyer accepts, Convert to pro forma copies everything into a pro forma invoice with its own number.
Worked example 1: an FOB quotation
The example that opens in the generator is a quotation from a housewares exporter in Ningbo to an importer in Hamburg: 1,200 insulated bottles at USD 3.85, 800 ceramic mugs at USD 2.60 and 2,000 gift boxes at USD 0.32, in 110 cartons, 1,038 kg gross and 4.5 m³. Under FOB the seller's price has to cover everything until the goods are on board the vessel at Ningbo.
| Cost item | Paid by under FOB | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Goods: 3 lines, 4,000 pieces | Seller (in the unit prices) | 7,340.00 |
| Trucking, factory to Ningbo port | Seller | 120.00 |
| Export customs clearance and documents | Seller | 45.00 |
| Origin port charges up to loading on board | Seller | 45.00 |
| Total FOB Ningbo, Incoterms® 2020 | 7,550.00 | |
| Ocean freight to Hamburg | Buyer, not on this quote | — |
| Cargo insurance | Buyer's own decision | — |
| Import clearance, duties and VAT in Germany | Buyer | — |
The three origin charges go in Other charges (USD 210.00). Freight stays at 0. Figures are illustrative, not market rates.
How origin terminal charges are split under FOB depends on port practice and on the buyer's forwarder, and it is a common source of argument. Say in the notes which origin charges your price includes. The FOB price guide lists what an FOB price covers and leaves out, with a worked example from ex-works cost to an FOB quote.
Worked example 2: the same goods quoted CIF Hamburg
If the buyer asks for CIF Hamburg instead, the seller also books and pays the sea freight to Hamburg and buys cargo insurance for the buyer. Under Incoterms® 2020, CIF requires at least Institute Cargo Clauses (C) cover for 110% of the contract price. Risk still passes to the buyer when the goods are on board at Ningbo.
| Cost item | How it is worked out | USD |
|---|---|---|
| FOB value | Example 1 | 7,550.00 |
| Ocean freight, LCL | 4.5 m³ outweighs 1.038 t, so 4.5 W/M × USD 62 | 279.00 |
| Insurance premium | Clauses (C), 110% of the CIF value, rate 0.25% | 21.59 |
| Total CIF Hamburg, Incoterms® 2020 | 7,850.59 |
Because the premium is part of the CIF value it insures, CIF = (FOB + freight) ÷ (1 − 110% × rate) = 7,829.00 ÷ 0.99725 = 7,850.59. Premium = 7,850.59 × 110% × 0.25% = 21.59. Rates are illustrative; insurers often charge a minimum premium.
In the generator, set the rule to CIF and the place to Hamburg, enter 279 as freight and 21.59 as insurance, and keep the 210 of origin charges. The pro forma invoice page opens with this CIF version as its example.
Export payment terms: which one to quote
The payment term decides when you get your money and how much risk you carry until then, so it belongs on the quotation, not in a later email. The U.S. International Trade Administration ranks the usual methods from safest to riskiest for the exporter. The Payment terms field above suggests the wordings in the first column; edit them to match what you agreed.
| Wording on the quotation | Method | When the seller is paid | Risk for the seller |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% T/T in advance | Cash in advance (bank transfer) | Before production or shipment | Lowest. The buyer carries the risk, so new buyers often refuse it for large orders. |
| 30% T/T deposit, 70% against copy of B/L | Part advance, balance after shipment | Deposit before production; balance once the buyer sees the shipping documents | The deposit covers part of the cost. Under an original (negotiable) bill of lading you can hold the originals until the balance arrives; with an air waybill or sea waybill you cannot. |
| Irrevocable L/C at sight | Letter of credit | When the bank has checked that your documents comply with the credit | Low if your documents match the credit exactly. Bank charges are higher, and discrepancies can delay or block payment. |
| D/P at sight | Documentary collection, documents against payment | When the buyer pays its bank to release the documents | The banks pass documents but do not guarantee payment. If the buyer refuses, your goods wait at the destination port. |
| Net 30 days from B/L date | Open account | 30, 60 or 90 days after shipment | Highest of the common terms: the goods and documents are already with the buyer. Usually kept for long-standing buyers or covered by export credit insurance. |
Summarised from the ITA "Methods of Payment" page listed under Sources. This is general information, not banking advice.
Whatever you choose, write it so it starts a clock and names the document that triggers payment. If you quote a letter of credit, say whether bank charges outside your country are for the buyer's account, and keep the latest shipping date realistic, because the credit will copy it. A deposit is paid against the pro forma invoice, so tick Print bank details before you send it.
Quotation, pro forma invoice or commercial invoice?
A quotation is an offer. A pro forma invoice is the same deal set out as an invoice before shipment, which the buyer can use to pay a deposit, open a letter of credit or apply for an import licence. The commercial invoice is issued when the goods ship and is the document customs uses to assess duty. The pro forma invoice generator compares the three side by side, and the commercial invoice and packing list generators make the shipping documents from the same data. Our export document guides go into each one.
Frequently asked questions
What is an export quotation?
A written offer to a buyer in another country: the products, prices in an agreed currency, the Incoterms® rule and named place the price is based on, payment and delivery terms, and how long the offer stands. It lets the buyer compare suppliers and work out the landed cost before ordering.
Is an export quotation legally binding?
A quotation is an offer. Whether an accepted offer becomes a binding contract, and when, depends on the law that applies and on the wording of the quotation. That is why exporters state a validity date and any conditions, such as "subject to final confirmation", in the notes. This is general information, not legal advice.
How long should an export quotation be valid?
Thirty days is common. Consider a shorter period when the price includes main freight (CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP and the D rules) or depends on an exchange rate, because both can move before the buyer orders. The 30, 60 and 90-day buttons set the date from the issue date.
Should I quote FOB or CIF?
Under FOB the buyer books and pays the sea freight and decides on insurance, which suits buyers with their own forwarder. Under CIF you book the freight and insure the goods, giving the buyer one price to the destination port, but you carry the freight rate until shipment. Risk passes on board at the port of shipment under both. For goods in containers, ICC guidance points to FCA instead of FOB and CPT or CIP instead of CFR or CIF; see the Incoterms® 2020 chart.
What is an HS code and does a quotation need one?
The Harmonized System code classifies goods for customs. The first six digits are shared internationally and the importing country adds more digits for its tariff. A quotation does not have to show it, but it helps the buyer estimate duty, and buyers often need it on the pro forma invoice for an import licence. Ask the buyer's customs broker to confirm the full code.
Why enter weights and volume for each line?
Freight is priced on them. Sea freight for less-than-container loads is charged per W/M, the greater of cubic metres or tonnes, and air freight on chargeable weight. With packages, net and gross weight and volume on every line, the totals let the buyer get a freight quote before ordering.
Can I quote in euros, pounds or another currency?
Yes. Choose the currency and enter prices in it. Amounts show the ISO code, for example USD 7,550.00 or JPY 785,059, so there is no confusion between dollar currencies. The generator does not convert between currencies.
What is the difference between a quotation and a pro forma invoice?
A quotation is your offer. A pro forma invoice sets out the agreed deal as an invoice before shipment, and buyers use it to pay a deposit, open a letter of credit or apply for an import licence. Neither is a commercial or tax invoice. The pro forma invoice page has a full comparison that includes the commercial invoice.
How do I turn a quotation into a pro forma invoice?
Open the quotation and press Convert to pro forma. The title changes, the number becomes a PI number (Q-2026-014 becomes PI-2026-014), the quotation number is kept as a reference, the issue date becomes today and an expired validity date is moved 30 days ahead. Your saved quotation draft is not changed.
Can I make the commercial invoice and packing list from the same data?
Yes. On a pro forma invoice press Convert to commercial invoice (from a quotation, choose Commercial invoice under Document type): the number becomes a CI number (PI-2026-014 becomes CI-2026-014), the pro forma number is kept as a reference, the invoice date becomes today and a declaration line is added, with no certification. Packing list shows the same goods with packages, net and gross weight, volume and shipping marks, without prices, as PL-2026-014. It stays one saved draft, so Document type switches between the documents without retyping. Ask the buyer's customs broker what the importing country requires on a commercial invoice.
Can I add my logo, signature and bank details?
Yes. The logo, and a signature or company stamp, are resized in your browser and appear on the preview, the print and the PDF; a stamp scanned on white paper gets a transparent background. Both stay in this browser and go into your backup file. Bank details are printed only when you tick the box. The form checks the SWIFT/BIC format and the IBAN check digits; it cannot confirm that an account exists.
Is the download a real PDF?
Yes. The PDF is built in your browser as vector text, so it is small, sharp and searchable, in A4 or US Letter. Latin text uses the standard Helvetica font. Chinese text, simplified or traditional, uses an embedded Noto Sans SC font: the first PDF with Chinese in it downloads the font once (about 2 MB, more for rare characters), and each PDF carries only the characters it uses. Cyrillic, Arabic, Thai or Korean text would still print as question marks, and the tool warns you first; for those, use Print and choose Save as PDF, which uses your computer's fonts.
Can I paste my product list from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy the rows in your spreadsheet, press Paste from spreadsheet under Goods and paste them. Without a header row the columns are read in the order of the form: description, quantity, unit, unit price, HS code, origin, packages, net weight, gross weight and volume; with a header row such as Description, Qty, Price, HS code, CBM the columns are matched by name. Thousands separators and decimal commas (3,85) are understood, and rows that cannot be read are listed by row number. Download lines (CSV) gives the goods lines and totals back as a spreadsheet file.
Does the generator pick the HS code or the Incoterms® rule for me?
No. You enter the HS code and choose the Incoterms® rule you and the buyer agree on. The form only warns when freight or insurance does not fit the rule you picked, and the Incoterms® 2020 chart explains what each rule puts on the seller. For the full national tariff code, ask the buyer's customs broker or check the importing country's tariff.
Where are my quotations stored?
In this browser on this device: the document you are working on, up to 50 saved drafts and your logo. Without an account none of it is sent to our server (the site only sends anonymous usage counts with no form content, which you can turn off in the footer). If you choose to sign in, your saved drafts, logo and signature also sync with your account so they appear on your other devices; the document you are working on stays in this browser. Clearing this site's browser data removes the copies in this browser, so download the PDF to keep a copy. Without an account, Back up drafts under My saved drafts moves your drafts to another computer or browser: it downloads one .json file, and Restore from a backup adds its documents to the other browser after asking you to confirm.
Sources
- U.S. International Trade Administration, "Pro Forma Invoice", trade.gov/pro-forma-invoice (opened 19 October 2026).
- U.S. International Trade Administration, "Common Export Documents", trade.gov/common-export-documents (opened 19 October 2026).
- U.S. International Trade Administration, "Methods of Payment", trade.gov/methods-payment (opened 20 October 2026).
- International Chamber of Commerce, Incoterms® 2020; see the sources listed on our Incoterms® 2020 chart. Incoterms® is a registered trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Check document requirements with your buyer, bank and customs broker.