What to check before buying from an Indian exporter
Most problems in export trade come from skipping a few checks before the first payment. Use this list with any exporter in India, including us.
1. Is the exporter registered?
Indian exporters hold an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC), issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Ask for it and check it on the DGFT website. Also ask for the company registration or proprietorship details and the business address.
2. Does the exporter make the goods or buy them from someone?
Many exporters are traders, which is fine, but you should know the factory behind the product. Ask for the factory name, location and photos or a video of production and loading.
3. Ask for a test report on the actual product
A brochure is not proof. For TMT bars ask for a mill test certificate showing yield strength, tensile strength and elongation. For tiles ask for water absorption and breaking strength. For plywood ask for the glue type and the standard it meets.
4. Ask for a sample
A sample from the same production line shows finish and size. Agree who pays for the sample and its courier cost before it ships.
5. Put the specification in the contract
Quantity, size, grade, packing, delivery date and the standard should be written on the proforma invoice. If it is not written down, you cannot claim on it later.
6. Check the certificate rules for your country
Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar require a pre-export certificate for many goods, and Madagascar requires a cargo tracking note. An exporter who does not know these rules is a warning sign. See the guides for Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Madagascar.
7. Be careful with full advance payment
Safer structures are a deposit with the balance paid against shipping documents, or a letter of credit through your bank. Ask your bank which it recommends for your order size.
8. Use a third-party inspector for large orders
An independent inspector checks quantity, quality and loading before the goods ship. The cost is small compared with a rejected container.
9. Check the packing
Ask how goods are packed for sea freight and what the breakage allowance is. Tiles and sanitaryware are the products most often damaged.
10. Keep every message and document
Agree the order in writing and keep the invoice, certificate and shipping documents. If something goes wrong, the record decides the claim.
Want to check us the same way? Ask for our registration details, test reports and factory photos with your enquiry.
Planning an order? Ask for a quote.
Tell us the product, quantity and destination. A named export manager replies with specifications, price and the import documents for your country.
Prefer to chat? Message us on WhatsApp.