| Product classification | Canned lychee in syrup; commonly reviewed under HS heading 2008, with the final national tariff subheading determined by the importing country. | Make the seller responsible for providing the proposed HS code, product description, and customs documents before shipment. | Confirm the code with the destination customs authority or a licensed customs broker. |
| Typical retail pack formats | Approximately 425 g net weight cans, 567 g cans, and 2.65–3.05 kg catering cans are common commercial formats. | Specify net weight, drained weight, can dimensions, lid type, carton count, and pallet pattern in the quotation request. | Approve a pre-production sample and compare the physical can and carton measurements with the specification sheet. |
| Quality specification | Define fruit count, whole-or-broken fruit ratio, color, texture, syrup clarity, foreign-matter tolerance, and drained-weight tolerance as measurable limits. | Attach a signed product specification and inspection standard to the sales contract rather than relying only on product photographs. | Use an independent pre-shipment inspection with sampling based on an agreed acceptance plan. |
| Food-safety documentation | Request a valid food-safety management certificate, process-flow description, ingredient declaration, allergen statement, microbiological results, and traceability records. | Make document submission and corrective-action deadlines conditions of payment or shipment release. | Check that certificates cover the actual production site and remain valid through the planned production period. |
| Shelf-life planning | Commercial canned fruit commonly carries a 24–36 month shelf-life claim when processed, sealed, and stored under the approved conditions. | Require a minimum remaining shelf life on arrival, such as 75% of the approved shelf life, unless local regulations require a stricter rule. | Verify the retort record, lot code, best-before date, storage instructions, and remaining shelf life at destination. |
| Indicative procurement volume | For an initial program, compare 1–3 containers, then negotiate quarterly volume commitments after the first approved shipment. | Use a volume-tier price schedule and define whether unused quarterly volume can be carried forward. | Match the commitment to sales forecasts, warehouse capacity, minimum order quantity, and cash-flow limits. |
| Container loading basis | A standard 20-foot dry container has approximately 33 m³ internal volume; a 40-foot dry container has approximately 67 m³. Actual cargo quantity depends on case dimensions and legal weight limits. | Request a container-loading plan showing cartons per layer, layers per pallet, pallets per container, gross weight, and cubic volume. | Approve the loading diagram before booking and check whether the destination route applies a lower road-weight limit. |
| Pallet and packaging standard | Use export-grade corrugated cartons, corner protection, moisture-resistant wrapping, and pallets compliant with destination import requirements. | State pallet dimensions, maximum stacking height, carton compression requirements, and whether pallets must be heat-treated or otherwise marked. | Inspect carton strength, pallet condition, container cleanliness, and load stability before sealing. |
| Incoterms® 2020 comparison | Compare FOB, CFR, CIF, and DAP on the same shipment assumptions. CIF includes minimum insurance cover under the Incoterms® 2020 rule but does not remove the buyer’s import obligations. | Write the named place or port, Incoterms® version, insurance scope, export clearance responsibility, and risk-transfer point into the purchase contract. | Reconcile the seller’s quotation with an independent freight-forwarder quotation and destination charges. |
| Production lead time | Allow approximately 30–60 days from approved artwork, deposit, and confirmed raw-material availability for a standard repeat order; new artwork or testing may add time. | Set milestones for artwork approval, raw-material booking, production completion, inspection, and document release. | Obtain a dated production schedule and a written delay-notification procedure. |
| Ocean transit planning | Allow roughly 20–45 days port-to-port for many Asia-to-major-market routes, excluding origin handling, transshipment, customs, and inland delivery. | Build a 10–14 day schedule buffer for port congestion, blank sailings, customs examination, and final delivery. | Obtain the carrier schedule, transshipment details, estimated arrival date, and free-time terms before booking. |
| Payment structure | A commonly negotiated structure is a deposit at order confirmation with the balance released after satisfactory inspection and document approval; exact percentages should reflect supplier risk and buyer leverage. | Link the final payment to inspection results, bill-of-lading release, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and required health documents. | Confirm bank-account details through an independently verified contact before every payment. |
| Price-adjustment clause | For 2026 contracts longer than one shipment, define a fixed-price period and a documented review mechanism for fruit, sugar, packaging, freight, and exchange-rate changes. | Use a ceiling, floor, notice period, and cancellation right instead of accepting an unrestricted price-change clause. | Require cost evidence and compare the proposed adjustment with market quotations and freight data. |
| Label and regulatory compliance | Prepare the label according to destination rules, including product name, net quantity, drained weight where required, ingredients, nutrition information, lot identification, date marking, origin, and importer details. | Make written label approval a precondition for production and prohibit unapproved artwork changes. | Have the destination importer or regulatory adviser approve the final artwork before printing. |
| Import cost model | Landed cost = product price + origin charges + ocean freight + insurance + destination charges + customs duty + import tax + inspection + inland delivery + financing and storage costs. | Compare suppliers using landed cost per can or per kilogram, not only the FOB or ex-works price. | Use current freight and duty quotations and document every assumption in the cost worksheet. |
| Damage and claims procedure | Define separate remedies for dented cans, leaking cans, swollen cans, short shipment, incorrect labels, and non-conforming drained weight. | Set notification deadlines, evidence requirements, replacement or credit terms, and responsibility for inspection costs. | Photograph the container, pallets, cartons, lot codes, and affected units during unloading. |
| Recommended 2026 buffer stock | Hold approximately 8–12 weeks of forecast demand when supply is seasonal or the route includes transshipment; adjust for local customs and warehouse performance. | Set reorder points using average weekly sales, production lead time, transit time, customs clearance time, and safety stock. | Review inventory monthly and rotate stock by lot and best-before date using first-expired, first-out controls. |
