I Would Like A Soft Quote. How Can I Get One?
A soft quote can be provided upon request. We will require you to provide the details of your intended order, including the type and grade of sugar you require, the amount of sugar you would like to purchase, the destination of your order, and the form of payment you can provide.
Please send me your complete Price List
I have been working with 5 direct manufacturers of ICUMSA 45 for several years. None of them will even consider giving me a document listing all their prices to send around on the internet. Sugar is a commodity and as such it depends on the market movement (on a daily basis) it also heavily depends on oil prices.
Do you think the freight costs from Brazil to EU are the same as from Brazil to China? Have a look at a world map and tell me if you think it is the same distance. Do you really believe that when crude oil prices are running at $125 per barrel, shipping costs are ALL the same when they mostly depend on crude to run. What about payment terms? They are NOT all the same, and they make a big difference in price of the sugar. The better and more secure the payment terms, the less risk involved for the owner of the product, so the better price they are willing to give.
All that said, I am still pretty confident that I can get the best possible prices at any given moment. Please check my sugar prices page.
What Is Your Preferred Form Of Payment ?
We accept three forms of payment, Bank Guarantee, Standby Letter of Credit, or a Fully Funded Direct Letter of Credit (BG, SBLC, FFDLC). Of these acceptable forms of payment, we prefer a Bank Guarantee. Any of these forms of payment must be issued by a major world bank (Top 25), or confirmed by a major world bank. If paying by letter of credit, it should be transferable, divisible, and payable on sight of documentation. In cases where the sugar is to be sent in many shipments, the letter of credit should be revolving to cover each shipment.
Are There Any Forms Of Payment That Are Unacceptable?
Letters of Credit that are non transferable, and revocable Letters of Credit are both unacceptable.
When Must Payment Be Made?
Payment shall be made when shipment has been confirmed. Any form of deferred payment will not be accepted.
What Documentation Is Needed?
Various forms of documentation are needed throughout the negotiation and purchasing process. The soft quote is the first piece of documentation that will be issued to you. If you find the soft quote agreeable and wish to purchase sugar, we require that you sign a NCND (Non Circumvention Non Disclosure Agreement). This is to protect both your information and our own as we enter into the negotiation process. You may then send in your Letter of Intent (LOI) accompanied by a Bank Comfort Letter (BCL). Once we have received and verified these documents, we will then issue a Firm Corporate Offer (FCO.)
Do I Need To Send You A New Letter Of Intent?
It depends. If your letter of intent is over ten days old, then you will need to send a new letter of intent. The purpose of this document is to act as evidence of recent intent to purchase from us, which is why it must be a recent document.
Must I Supply My Bank Details With My Letter Of Intent?
Yes, this is absolutely mandatory. We require your bank details and also permission from you to conduct a soft probe in order to determine that funds are available to cover the cost of the intended transaction. This is a standard procedure for many sellers as it protects us from wasting time and resources on a sale which may not exist. For this reason you will need to include in your letter of intent your bank details, authorization for a soft probe, and the contact details of your banking officer.
Can I Get a Firm Corporate Offer Quickly?
The fastest way to get a firm corporate offer (FCO), is to provide us with the requested documentation accurately and in a timely fashion. Ensure that the information is consistent between the bank comfort letter and the letter of intent, and that you have supplied us with all the details required for us to confirm your details and conduct a soft probe. Though it may seem that there is a great deal of paperwork to be undertaken in order to obtain a firm corporate offer, it is all essential to ensuring a successful transaction.
Can I See SGS Reports Before I Send In My Letter Of Intent?
No. It is not possible to see SGS reports in advance. If your reason for wishing to see them is to obtain proof of the product’s existence, this is covered in a bank to bank procedure when the seller requests Proof of Funds (PoF) from the buyer’s bank, at which time a Proof of Product (PoP) is supplied to the buyer’s bank.
Can I See The Sugar Before Purchase?
It is not possible to view sugar before purchase, due to the fact that quite often the sugar is yet to be refined. This is especially true for large orders which will be sent over a period over several months. It is relatively rare that we store sugar in a warehouse waiting for a buyer, as sugar is a hot commodity and is generally sold prior to being refined, and in some futures sales, before it has even been planted.
Can I Order A Trial Shipment?
You are free to order a smaller shipment of sugar than you actually require by way of a trial, but we will not regard the transaction as a trial, and cannot hold sugar in reserve for you that has not been purchased.
What Is The Standard Procedure?
Standard procedure dictates that the seller takes responsibility for inspection of the goods, preparing them for shipment, and for securing a vessel. Once the ship has left the port with the cargo aboard, the seller is then paid.
Can I Have My Own Procedures Followed?
No. The standard procedures are in place because they have been proven to provide the maximum protection for both buyer and seller.
What Is The Reason For Having A Standard Procedure?
The sugar trading market is a global one with a great potential for scam operations and monies being lost due to unscrupulous buyers and sellers. The standard procedure safeguards the interests of both parties.
I Am A Broker. How Can I Secure My Commission?
We include a broker fee of one dollar per pound in our soft quote. If your brokerage fee is higher than this amount, you will need to add it on to the soft quote when presenting it to your client. Please be aware that the added commission will be shared between supplier and broker, so in order to gain the full commission you desire, you will have to double it when adding it to the soft quote. For instance, if you wish to be paid an extra three dollars on every pound, you will need to add six dollars per pound onto the soft quote price.
Who Pays For SGS Inspections? Where Are They Carried Out?
The supplier must bear the cost for SGS inspections, which are carried out at the port from which they are sent. The SGS inspector provides several certificates which are sent to the buyer confirming the quality and properties of the sugar.
I Need Several Million Tonnes Of Sugar. Can You Sell Me That Much?
This amount of sugar would cost quite literally hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase. We have found that very few buyers have the funds to cover this large of a transaction. For this reason, most sugar is sold in substantially smaller quantities. If you have the funds in place and can provide a Bank Guarantee from a major world bank to that effect, and the soft probe of your accounts is successful, then we can discuss your order.
If you have questions that have not been addressed on this page, feel free to contact me.