How to Use the Incoterms 2020 Export Quote Builder Prompt to Answer an Overseas Request for Quote

A request for quote from an overseas buyer often arrives with a delivery term already filled in, usually FOB, because that is the term the buyer has always used. For a small exporter shipping a container from its own dock, FOB is often the wrong rule, and choosing it quietly leaves the seller carrying risk for goods it no longer controls. The Incoterms 2020 Export Quote Builder: Pick the Right Rule, Price FCA, CPT, CIP, and DAP Options, and Write the Delivery Clause prompt helps you pick the right Incoterms 2020 rule, price several options from your real costs, and write a delivery clause that your buyer and your freight forwarder will read the same way.

What the prompt produces

1. A rule check that tells you whether the buyer's requested rule fits your shipment mode and explains the risk gap if it does not.
2. A price ladder for FCA, CPT, CIP, and DAP built only from your cost lines, with each line added in order.
3. A responsibility table showing who handles export clearance, main carriage, insurance, unloading, and import duties under each rule, and where risk passes.
4. A delivery clause in the standard format: rule, precise named place, then Incoterms 2020.
5. A list of terms the rule does not cover and that the quote must state separately.
6. A short reply to the buyer explaining the recommendation in plain words.

Why the rule matters

FAS, FOB, CFR, and CIF are meant for sea and inland waterway transport where goods are delivered alongside or on board a ship. When a container is loaded at your dock and handed to a carrier at a terminal days before sailing, FCA, CPT, or CIP usually match reality better, because risk passes when you hand the goods over rather than when they cross the ship's rail. The prompt explains this in one paragraph you can reuse with buyers.

How to fill the inputs

BuyerRequest is what the buyer asked for, including their requested rule and any delivery deadline. ShipmentProfile describes the goods, packing, and mode, such as one 40 foot container or LCL. CostLines is the most important input: your ex works price and each quote from your forwarder and insurer, with currency. The prompt is told to use only these numbers and to mark anything missing as NEED QUOTE.

SellerPlace and DestinationPlace should be precise addresses, not just cities, because a vague named place is one of the most common causes of disputes. ExportFilings lists what applies to your shipment, such as Electronic Export Information filed in AES or a certificate of origin.

Reading the example output

The example quotes six crated pumps from Erie, Pennsylvania to a distributor in Venlo, Netherlands:

• FOB is replaced with three better options. FCA at the seller's dock, CIP to Rotterdam, and DAP to the buyer's warehouse.
• The CIP insurance math is shown. Insurance at 110 percent of the contract value with all risks cover, as Incoterms 2020 requires for CIP, adds about 202 dollars.
• The DAP clause flags a missing street address. The prompt will not guess the exact delivery point.
• The separate terms are listed. Payment terms, title transfer, quote validity, currency, and governing law are all called out, because no Incoterms rule covers them.

Tips for better results

• Get current forwarder quotes before running the prompt. Old freight rates make every option wrong.
• Ask your forwarder to confirm the named place wording before the quote goes out.
• Keep the responsibility table in the quote as an attachment. Buyers new to FCA or CIP appreciate seeing it.
• Run the prompt again if the buyer asks for DDP, and read the import clearance warnings carefully.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not write a city alone as the named place.
• Do not assume Incoterms rules decide when ownership or payment changes hands.
• Do not treat the output as customs or legal advice. Confirm filings with your forwarder or customs broker.

Who it is for

Export sales coordinators, owners of small manufacturers starting to sell abroad, and customer service staff who prepare quotes and pro forma invoices.

Related PromptDig links

Open the Incoterms 2020 Export Quote Builder: Pick the Right Rule, Price FCA, CPT, CIP, and DAP Options, and Write the Delivery Clause prompt and paste your latest forwarder quote. For more prompts built for operations and sales work, Browse more prompts. If you have a trade or logistics prompt that saves you time, Share a prompt.