Price per metric tonne does not yet provide a general basis
A foreign buyer is comparing three Russian proposals for peas.
One includes packaging, another lists the price without it, and the third refers to a different transfer point.
Choosing the minimum number may increase overall expenditure or leave an important operation without a performer.
First, set the same comparison base: product and characteristics, unit, quantity, packaging, operation, and route point.
This is a form of procurement analysis, not a ready-made formula for customs value or taxation.
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Break down each proposal into components
Record the currency, date, and validity period of the price, minimum batch, included works, and exclusions.
For delivery terms, specify the exact rule and named place; one term without a place does not define the entire cost configuration.
Do not add a missing cost as zero.
If the supplier has not responded about loading, note ‘to be clarified’.
Proposals with differing product characteristics do not become comparable just after currency conversion.
Map to a single point
| Element | Proposal A | Proposal B |
|---|---|---|
| Product and unit | Confirmed configuration | Check for match |
| Packaging and loading | What is included | What needs to be added |
| Route to the common point | Confirmed expenditure | Confirmed expenditure |
| Unknown conditions | Open questions | Open questions |
The map is filled with confirmed data, preserving sources and versions.
Different methods for determining characteristics also require separate explanation.
Educational example without hidden comparison
On a common base and in the same currency, Product A costs 20,000 rubles per metric tonne; preparation and delivery to the selected point add 3,000: total 23,000.
Product B costs 21,000, comparable additional operations are 1,000: total 22,000.
For twenty metric tonnes, the difference is 20,000 rubles.
The numbers are educational and are not market prices.
The conclusion is valid only with the same configuration and confirmed additions.
Payment terms, quality, and execution risk are considered alongside expenditure, not dissolved into a single ‘best supplier’ assessment.
How to formalize the choice
The manager receives a comparable calculation, a list of significant differences, and open questions.
If the absence of a price for one operation could change the decision, first obtain confirmation rather than declaring a winner based on an incomplete total.
Use export delivery margin calculation for further deal economics.
American materials on export proposals help to raise questions about price completeness; their support tools and norms cannot be automatically transferred to a Russian purchase.
Internal management guidance; examples are hypothetical.
Overseas sources do not establish Russian legal requirements.
Check authority, contract terms, restrictions and mandatory procedures for the specific transaction.
Reviewed 26 October 2026.
