Export Quotation Format: What to Include (Free Template)
Export quotation format: the 12 things a buyer looks for, how to write the trade term, validity and payment lines, and a free one-page template.
A buyer overseas asks for a price. You send a number in an email, and the next three messages are questions: FOB or EXW? Which port? How long is the price good for? When does production start? What's the deposit?
A good export quotation answers those questions before they are asked. It makes you look organized, it makes the buyer's job easier when they compare suppliers, and it gives you a clear date to follow up on.
This guide is for small factories, workshops, wholesalers and makers quoting physical products to buyers in other countries. It covers what to put on the page, how to word the lines buyers most often misread, and a few mistakes worth avoiding.
Quotation or proforma invoice?
A quotation is your offer. It says what you will supply, at what price and on what terms, until a certain date. The buyer can accept it, ask for changes or ignore it.
A proforma invoice usually comes after the buyer accepts. It sets out the agreed order in invoice form, often so the buyer can pay the deposit, open a letter of credit or apply for an import licence. It is not a request for payment of the final amount.
Many small exporters use one template for both and switch the title once the buyer says yes. That works, as long as the numbers on the proforma match what you agreed.
The export quotation format: 12 things to include
Put these on one page if you can. Buyers often print quotes, forward them to a manager, or lay three side by side.
- Your company details: name, address, contact person, email and phone or WhatsApp.
- Buyer details: company, contact name, country, and their inquiry reference if they gave one.
- Quote number and date: for example QT-2026-0142. You will need it when they reply three weeks later.
- Item lines: a clear description, the model or item code, and the specification the buyer asked about (size, material, color, packing).
- Quantity and unit: pieces, sets, cartons or kilograms. Make sure the unit matches the price.
- Unit price and currency: "USD 4.20 per piece", not just "4.20".
- MOQ and price breaks: the price at your minimum order quantity and at one or two higher quantities.
- Trade term with a named place: "FOB Ningbo port, China, Incoterms® 2020".
- Lead time with a starting point: "35 days after deposit received".
- Payment terms: method, percentage and when each part is due.
- Validity date: a real date, such as "Prices valid until 30 November 2026".
- Extras and exclusions: sample fee, tooling or mold fee, special packing, testing or certificates, and anything the price does not include.
Optional, but buyers appreciate it: carton size and weight, the likely HS code, and country of origin. The buyer uses these to estimate freight and import duty. If you add an HS code, say it is for reference and let the buyer's customs broker confirm it.
Write the terms so they can't be misread
Most disputes over a quote come from four short lines. Here is how to make each one precise.
Trade term and place
Write the rule, the exact place and the version: "FOB Xiamen port, China, Incoterms® 2020". "FOB China" leaves the buyer guessing which port, and the cost of getting goods there can differ a lot.
Validity
Give an end date, not "valid for 30 days". Days start counting from different moments for you and the buyer. A date doesn't. It also gives you an honest reason to follow up before it runs out.
Lead time
Always say what starts the clock: "35 days after deposit received" or "20 days after sample approval". "Lead time: 4 weeks" invites the question "from when?", and if the buyer pays late, your date should move with it.
Payment
Write the method, the split and the trigger: "T/T: 30% deposit with order, 70% balance before shipment". If the buyer pays by letter of credit, say what kind and who pays the bank charges, or agree that before the proforma.
FOB, EXW or CIF: which price should you quote?
The trade term decides which costs are in your price and where your responsibility ends. The three most common ones on small export quotes, in plain language:
| Term | You arrange and pay for | Buyer takes over |
|---|---|---|
| EXW (Ex Works) | Goods ready at your factory or warehouse | Loading, export clearance, freight, insurance, import |
| FOB (Free On Board) | Delivery to the named port, export clearance, loading on the ship | Ocean freight, insurance, import |
| CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) | FOB costs plus ocean freight and minimum insurance to the destination port | Unloading costs not in the freight, import |
A few practical points:
- EXW looks cheapest, but the buyer's forwarder then has to handle your export customs. If they can't do that in your country, it causes delays. Many exporters quote FOB instead, or both.
- FOB is the common default for sea shipments when the buyer has their own forwarder. It is a sea and inland waterway term. For goods handed over in a container at a terminal, the ICC recommends FCA instead, so ask your forwarder which fits your shipments.
- CIF means you book the freight. Only quote it if you have a current freight rate, and give the freight part its own validity if rates are moving.
If you're not sure which the buyer wants, quote FOB and offer EXW or CIF on request. This is a simplified summary. The ICC publishes the full Incoterms® 2020 rules, and your forwarder can tell you how each one works for your route.
MOQ and price breaks: show the next step up
Buyers often start with a small quantity and ask "what if we order more?". Answer it in the quote. List the price at your MOQ and at one or two higher quantities:
- 500–999 pcs: USD 4.20
- 1,000–2,999 pcs: USD 3.90
- 3,000+ pcs: USD 3.60
Use the price for the quantity they asked about on the item line, and show the breaks underneath. It saves a round of emails and it often nudges the first order up a tier, without you discounting anything.
Sample and tooling fees
Put sample and mold or tooling fees on their own lines, not mixed into the unit price. If you refund them on a large enough order, say so plainly: "Tooling fee USD 300, credited back on orders of 3,000+ pcs." Buyers compare suppliers on unit price. A separate, clearly explained fee looks fair. A hidden one found later doesn't.
An example export quote
A fictional example, cut down to the key lines:
QUOTATION QT-2026-0142 Date: 17 Oct 2026
From: Example Housewares Co., Ltd., Xiamen, China
To: Sample Trading GmbH, Hamburg, Germany Your ref: RFQ-88
Item Description Qty Unit price Amount
1 Bamboo serving tray, 40x30 cm 1,000 USD 3.90 USD 3,900.00
Price breaks: 500+ 4.20 | 1,000+ 3.90 | 3,000+ 3.60
2 Sample set (3 sizes) 1 USD 45.00 USD 45.00
Total: USD 3,945.00
Trade term: FOB Xiamen port, China, Incoterms® 2020
Lead time: 35 days after deposit received
Payment: T/T 30% deposit (USD 1,183.50), balance before shipment
MOQ: 500 pcs per item
Valid until: 30 November 2026
Not included: testing, certificates, special packing
Notice what each line does: the buyer can see the price, where it applies, when they'd get the goods, how much to pay now, and how long they have to decide.
Six mistakes that cost replies
- No named place. "FOB" alone. Which port?
- Open-ended validity. Your material and freight costs change. Your quote should say until when it holds.
- A unit that doesn't match the price. Per piece on the line, per carton in the total.
- Lead time without a start point. "From order" and "from deposit" can be weeks apart.
- A quote buried in the email body. Send a PDF the buyer can forward and file, with a short email on top.
- No next step. End with one question: "Reply with your target quantity and I'll confirm the delivery date."
Before you send: a 1-minute check
Go down the page once:
- Named place filled in?
- Validity date in the future?
- Every line has a quantity and a price?
- No line below your MOQ?
- Deposit and balance add up to the total?
- Quote number and date on the page?
Then save it as a PDF and send it. If it was a real inquiry, note the date you'll follow up, a few days before the validity date at the latest. Our guide on how to follow up after sending a quotation has the lines to copy.
Want the template already built? Get it free
The Free Export Quote Template puts all of this on one A4 page, for Excel and Google Sheets. You set the trade term and named place, currency, validity, lead time and payment in a side panel that doesn't print, and it writes out the lines for you, works out the valid-until date, picks the right price break for each item, and calculates the deposit and balance. Before you send, it runs 8 checks, including a missing named place, an expired date, lines without a price and lines below MOQ. It has 10 item lines and a fictional sample to type over. No macros.
It doesn't send anything for you, and it isn't legal, tax or customs advice. Check the terms with your buyer and your own advisers.
FAQ
What should an export quotation include?
Your and the buyer's details, a quote number and date, item descriptions, quantity and unit, unit price and currency, MOQ and price breaks, the trade term with a named place, lead time with a starting point, payment terms, a validity date, and any fees or exclusions.
How long should an export quotation be valid?
Long enough for the buyer to compare and decide, short enough that your costs and exchange rates won't have moved much. Whatever you choose, write it as an end date.
Should I quote FOB or EXW?
FOB is a common default for sea freight when the buyer has a forwarder, because you handle export clearance at your end. Offer EXW too if the buyer asks for it and their forwarder can handle export customs in your country.
What is the difference between a quotation and a proforma invoice?
A quotation is your offer. A proforma invoice usually follows once the buyer accepts, and sets out the agreed order so they can pay a deposit or arrange a letter of credit.
Questions? Email keptrow@proton.me. We usually reply within 2 business days.
Incoterms® is a trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Keptrow is not affiliated with ICC.