business letter

Please quote us your prices CIF/FOB/CFR London, …

Should your price be found competitive and delivery date acceptable, we intend to place an order for … with you.

When replying, please state delivery period, discounts and terms of payment.

Will you please send us your catalogue and full details of your export prices and terms of payment, together with any samples you can let us have?

Details regarding specifications and designs will also be much appreciated.

Full particulars as to prices, quality, quantity available and other relative information would be appreciated.

If brochures/pamphlets, etc, are available it would be helpful.

We should be grateful/obliged if you could …

We should appreciate it if you could …

? Writing Practice

I. Translate the following expressions into English. 1. 询盘 2. 价目单 3. 供应商 4. 付款条件 5. 大宗折扣 6. 运费 7. 订货 8. 不可撤销信用证 9. 报伦敦成本、保险加运费价10. 佣金

II. Arrange the following sentences into the coherent body of a letter for making enquiries.

a. Besides, we have confidence in the quality of Chinese Products.

b. It would also be appreciated if samples or brochure could be forwarded to us. c. We are interested to by large quantities of Iron Nails of all sizes and should be

obliged if you would give us a quotation per metric ton C. F. R. Lagos, Nigeria. d. We look forward to hearing from you by return.

e. We used to purchase this article from other sources but we now prefer to buy

from your corporation because we are given to understand you are able to supply large quantities at more attractive prices.

III. Compose the body of letters for making enquiries according to the situations

below.

1． 你公司拟进口4500支“好朋友”牌铅笔，得知对方是文具经销大户，故致函询问FOB

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上海到岸价并索要具体目录及样品。

2． 你公司经营各种纺织品进口业务，最近接到不少顾客关于全棉床单的询盘，因此致函供

应商，希望对方提供有关全棉床单产品系列的详细情况，包括可供应的产品花色、尺寸及包装与装运计内的价格，并索要产品彩色图示（如目录或手册等）。

Reference keys to the exercises: I.

1. enquiry 2. price list 3. supplier 4. terms of payment 5. quantity discount 6. freight 7. place an order 8. irrevocable L/C 9. to quote CIF London 10. commission II.

We are interested to by large quantities of Iron Nails of all sizes and should be obliged if you would give us a quotation per metric ton C. F. R. Lagos, Nigeria. It would also be appreciated if samples or brochure could be forwarded to us.

We used to purchase this article from other sources but we now prefer to buy from your corporation because we are given to understand you are able to supply large quantities at more attractive prices.Besides, we have confidence in the quality of Chinese Products.

We look forward to hearing from you by return.

III. 1.

We are informed that you can supply large quantities of stationery.

Please give us your lowest quotation FOB Shanghai for 4500 gross “Good Friends” Brand pencils.

To acquaint us with the qualities and specifications of your goods, we will appreciate it very much if you will send us some samples and catalogues. We hope to receive your early reply. 2.

We are a leading importer of various textile products. Recently we have received a number of enquiries from customers for cotton bed sheets and should be glad if you would send us full particulars of your range, including colors, sizes and prices inclusive of packing and delivery charges. If illustrated brochures or pamphlets are available it would be helpful if you would send us copies.

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3. Making Offers and Counter-offers

? General Introduction ? Sample Reading ? Useful Expressions ? Writing Practice

? General Introduction

What are letters for making offers and counter-offers?

报盘函(offers)是指卖方在接到买方询价函后，向买方报价、介绍商品情况、提出交易条件（如商品数量、价格、付款方式、交货日期等）时所写的一种商务书信。

根据报盘时有无规定期限来分，报盘有实盘（firm offer）和虚盘(non-firm offer)。实盘函中报盘人提出一定的交易条件，并规定报盘的有效期限，如“This offer is firm, subject to the receipt of your reply before 29th March.”等。在有效期内报盘人不得随意改变和撤回报盘内容，报盘一经买方接受，买卖立即敲定。而凡是报盘时没有规定期限的都称为虚盘，虚盘对买卖双方都没有约束力。 另外，报盘函也分为主动报盘和非主动报盘。主动报盘是不经买方询价卖方主动提出的交易愿望和条件；而非主动报盘则相反，大部分的报盘都属于这一类，是应买方询价要求而作出的回应。

还盘函(counter-offers)是指买方接到卖方的报盘以后，对其提出的交易条件感到不能接受或不能完全接受，为了进一步磋商交易而对不接受的条款提出修改意见的信函。有时一笔交易的达成会经过报盘、还盘的多次往来才能成功。

How to write a letter for making offers and counter-offers?

To open a letter for making offers, you express your thanks for the enquiry and a mention of the exact date of the enquiry is usually preferred.

In the body part of an offer, list clearly the price and conditions upon which your are willing to sell your goods, such as prices of the different items, terms of payment, discounts, the least quantity of an order, shipment date, etc.

To conclude an offer, you can stress the quality of your commodities to build up confidence in your potential buyer as well as the advantages of your quotation. And you express your wish for an early order.

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Besides, if you want to encourage further business, you can provide information about the other products available in your company apart from those they enquired about.

一般报盘函也是包括三部分，开头部分报盘人对对方的询盘表示感谢，通常提及询盘的确切日期。正文部分报盘人列出询盘人所要求知道的各项交易条件，包括商品单价、商品数量、付款方式、装运日期以及优惠条件等等。结尾部分报盘人表示希望对方能接受报盘并进行订货，并强调其报盘的优势及商品的质量，以努力促成交易。另外，有时除了询盘人所感兴趣的商品之外，报盘人也主动介绍公司的其他相关产品，提供信息以期望达成更多交易。

When making counter-offers, you first thank the person who made the offer, and repeat the exact conditions offered. Then you state the reasons why some of the conditions should be revised if an order is going to be placed. And then you suggest your desired conditions. At last, you express your wish of a successful business.

写还盘函时，也要先对对方的报盘表示感谢，一般会重复报盘的具体内容。然后，还盘方应直接清楚地说明不能接受报盘的理由，并提出还盘条件和意见。最后表达希望达成交易的愿望。

? Sample Reading

Sample 1

这封报盘函是在卖方收到买方询价函后的回复。信中卖方先分别对茶杯、茶托、茶壶（2品脱容量）进行了报价，并提出付款要求――不可撤销即期信用证，然后说明可能的优惠及承诺发货日期。这封报盘函没有规定确定的期限，因而是虚盘函。 Xin Chao Imp. / Exp. Company 12/F Foreign Trade Building

Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210064 P. R. China

10 Jan. 2003

Walker & Preece Co. , Ltd. 4 Wimble Road

Birmingham B16 6PE UK

Dear Mr. White,

Thank you for your enquiry dated 8 January for teacups and teapots. We are pleased to quote as follows:

Teacups: USD 1,200 per hundred Tea saucers: USD 1,000 per hundred Teapots (2-pint): USD 15 per piece

(The prices quoted include packing and delivery.)

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