Use this page for sourcing inquiries, specification questions and corrections to
published content. Every message is read by a person.
What to include in a sourcing inquiry
An inquiry that contains the following can be answered in one reply rather than four.
An inquiry that contains only a product name and the word “price” cannot be answered
at all, because the price depends on every item below.
**Product and form.** Not “berries” but, for example, IQF raspberry, whole, grade A.
The form matters as much as the fruit: whole, crumble, puree and block-frozen are
different products with different processes behind them.
**Volume and frequency.** A single container and a twelve-month programme with monthly
calls are priced and planned differently. If you do not know the annual figure yet,
say the trial volume and the intended direction.
**Destination and Incoterm.** The delivery place decides the transport cost, the
customs procedure and who carries the risk. If you do not have a preferred Incoterm,
say the delivery address and we will suggest one. The Incoterms page
explains the trade-offs.
**Specification or the parameters that matter.** If you have a written specification,
attach it. If you do not, name the parameters you will test on arrival: Brix, defect
tolerance, size band, foreign matter, microbiological limits, residue requirements.
**Certification requirements.** Which GFSI-recognised scheme your customer requires,
whether organic certification is needed, and whether you need the certificate to name
a specific site.
**Packaging and labelling.** Bulk carton weight, inner bag, pallet configuration, and
whether the retail label has to be produced in the country of dispatch.
**Timing.** The date the goods have to be on your dock, not the date you would like to
place the order. Seasonal products have production windows that no amount of planning
moves.
What we can help with
Specification drafting, clarification of a standard or a regulation, explanation of a
route and its documentation, and pointing you at the published material that answers a
question. Where a request needs a supplier, we can review it and describe the options
available.
What we cannot do
We cannot issue certificates, laboratory results or phytosanitary documents. We cannot
give legal advice on your contract or on customs classification – HS classification in
particular is a decision for the declarant and, if binding certainty is needed, for
the customs authority through a binding tariff information ruling. We cannot guarantee
availability or price for a product we have not quoted.
Corrections to published pages
If a page here is wrong, out of date, or cites a regulation that has since been
amended, tell us which page and what is wrong. Corrections are checked against the
primary source and the page is re-dated when it is updated.
Response time
Inquiries are answered within one business day. Ukrainian public holidays and weekends
are the exception. If your request is time-critical, say so in the first line of the
message rather than at the end.
Before you write
Two questions come up so often that the answers are already published:
what a minimum order quantity means in practice
and the difference between FCL and LTL for temperature-controlled freight.