Trade terms & smart enquiries

Know exactly
what you're buying.

Incoterms in plain English, the things to fix before you order, and how to write an enquiry that gets numbers back — fast.

Incoterms 2020, visualised

Who arranges what,
and where risk moves

Amber = WANPORTS arranges and bills it inside your quote. Blue = you (or your forwarder). The flag is where risk transfers to you.

PACKPICK-UPEXPORTFREIGHTINSUREIMPORTDELIVER
EXWEX WORKS
FCAFREE CARRIER
FOBFREE ON BOARD · SEA
CFRCOST & FREIGHT · SEA
CIFCOST, INSURANCE & FREIGHT
DAPDELIVERED AT PLACE
DDPDELIVERED DUTY PAID
WANPORTS arranges & bills Optional / on request You / your forwarder ⚑Risk transfers to you

Our default quote is FOB Ningbo. It keeps freight transparent and lets you use your own forwarder. Rail and LCL shipments usually run better as FCA. Note: under CFR / CIF we pay the freight, but risk still transfers when the goods are loaded at origin.

EXW — Ex Works
Goods are made available at the workshop door — you arrange everything from pick-up to delivery, including China export clearance. Watch out: export clearance in China without a local agent is painful. Most buyers are better served by FCA.
FCA — Free Carrier
We hand the goods to your nominated carrier (or terminal) export-cleared. Risk transfers at hand-over. Works for sea, air, rail and courier — the most flexible term. Nail down the exact hand-over point (forwarder warehouse vs rail terminal) in writing.
FOB — Free On Board (sea only)
We deliver export-cleared goods onto the vessel at Ningbo; you pay ocean freight onward. Risk transfers when goods are on board. The classic, most transparent term for FCL buyers. FOB is a sea term — for air or rail shipments ask for FCA instead.
CFR — Cost & Freight (sea only)
Like FOB, but we book and pay the ocean freight to your port. Risk still transfers at loading in China — freight paid ≠ risk carried. Insure the voyage yourself, or ask us to quote CIF.
CIF — Cost, Insurance & Freight (sea only)
CFR plus marine insurance (minimum ICC-C cover) bought by us in your name. Convenient single price to your port. Minimum cover is basic — high-value cargo should request ICC-A all-risk.
DAP — Delivered At Place
We deliver to your named address; you handle import clearance and pay duties/VAT when the shipment arrives. Confirm who unloads the truck, and have your import documents ready to avoid demurrage.
DDP — Delivered Duty Paid
Door-to-door with duties and taxes paid by us — one all-in price, zero customs work on your side. Duty rates get baked into the price; provide your product's HS code early for an accurate DDP quote. Not available for every country.

Before you order

Eight things to fix
in writing

Most disputes trace back to one of these being left vague. Our quotations state all eight.

Payment scheduleTypically 30% T/T deposit, 70% against B/L copy — agree currency and bank-fee split.
Quantity toleranceMass production ships ±3–5% — decide if overage is accepted and how it is billed.
Lead time triggerDays count from deposit received + artwork approved — not from first email.
Packaging specInner box, master carton, pcs per carton, markings — in the quote, not assumed.
Inspection rightsPre-shipment inspection (AQL level) and who bears re-inspection cost on failure.
Defect policyAcceptable defect rate, spare-parts percentage, and remedy (credit / replacement).
HS code & dutiesAgree the HS classification early — it drives duty rate, certificates and DDP pricing.
Tooling ownershipFor OEM: who owns molds and jigs, storage terms, and hand-over conditions — in writing.

Write a great enquiry

The more specific,
the faster the numbers

A quotation needs a product and a quantity. Send what you know — even rough tiers beat "best price?" by days.

✓ QUOTABLE THIS WEEK

"LED string lights, 10 m / 100 LED warm white, USB powered — photo attached. 5,000 pcs (also price 10,000). To Hamburg, DAP. Target $1.80/pc. Need stock by mid-November."

Product ✓ quantity ✓ destination ✓ target ✓ timeline ✓ — this goes straight to factory matching and comes back as an itemised quotation.

✕ HARD TO QUOTE

"Hi, what is your best price for lights?"

We will reply — with questions. Which light, which spec, how many, to where? Every missing item adds a round-trip before you see numbers.

Send a pre-filled enquiry

NOT SURE YET? SEND WHAT YOU HAVE — WE WILL HELP YOU NARROW IT DOWN

Clear terms.
Clean quotations.

Every WANPORTS quotation states the trade term, the tolerance, the lead time and the paperwork — before you pay anything.

Start an enquiry Explore OEM / ODM

RFQ by email · No online ordering