Pricing exports is not domestic pricing plus shipping
Export quotes die in two ways: too high to win, or too low to survive. The fix is a stack — every layer of cost and risk priced explicitly, so your margin is a decision, not an accident.
The export pricing stack
Layer Typical range Often forgotten?
--- --- ---
Production cost Base No
Export packaging 2–5% Yes
Inland freight to port 1–3% Yes
Documentation + compliance 0.5–1% Yes
International freight Varies wildly No
Payment cost (LC, transfer fees) 0.5–2% Yes
Currency buffer 2–4% Yes
Your margin Your call —
Where margin quietly leaks
:::chart Share of exporters who underprice each layer
Export packaging | 58
Payment costs | 51
Currency movement | 47
Documentation | 39
:::
Quoting rules that protect you
- Quote with an expiry date — freight and currency move; 15–30 days is standard.
- State the Incoterm in every quote — the same number means different money under EXW and DDP.
- Price the payment terms — net 60 is a loan; charge for it or decline it.
- Hold a currency buffer — or quote in your own currency and let the buyer hedge.
> A quote is a promise you must keep for its validity period. Price the risk of keeping it.
Quote from a template, not a blank page
Prebro''s proforma invoices are generated inside the deal with product, freight, and terms in fixed fields — so every quote you send is complete, consistent, and defensible.