CommerceKit
Decision Guides · Pricing & Quotes

Price an Imported Product

Turn a supplier quote into a true landed cost, a defensible margin, and a target buy price you can negotiate to.

Stage 1 of 5Set the sell price and required margin

For: An importer or distributor deciding whether to buy a product — and at what price — before committing to a supplier or an MOQ.

Use when: You have a target sell price (or channel) and one or more supplier quotes, and need a defensible go/no-go buy price before you negotiate hard or place a PO.

Stop triggers
  • The target sell price isn't realistic for the channel or the competition.
  • The MOQ is far larger than a realistic sell-through window — dead-stock risk.
  • Shelf life can't survive transit, clearance, and sell-through.
  • The margin only works on optimistic freight, stable FX, or zero delay.
  • Duty, import VAT, or preferential origin can't be established credibly.

  • Set the target sell price and channel role
  • Strip out discounts, fees, and returns
  • State the margin you need to clear
  • Sanity-check against real competitor prices
Calculators
Markup vs Margin Calculator
Checklists
Product Launch / Import Feasibility Checklist
Terms
MarginMarkupGross Profit
Sources
ITC Trade MapUN Comtrade
G1Decision gate

· Commercial reality

Is there a realistic price with a viable margin?

Go — A realistic price supports your required margin.

Hold — Margin is thin — revisit the price or positioning.

Stop — No realistic price clears a viable margin.

G2Decision gate

· Comparable quote

Are the quotes truly comparable?

Go — Every quote is the same unit, currency, Incoterm, and validity.

Hold — Exclusions or terms are missing — get them in writing.

Stop — Quotes aren't comparable, or the supplier isn't credible.

G3Decision gate

· True cost

Is the landed cost complete and credible?

Go — Landed cost is complete and duty, VAT, and origin are established.

Hold — A cost component is still a guess — refine it.

Stop — Duty, VAT, or origin can't be established credibly.

G4Decision gate

· Resilience

Does the margin survive FX, freight, MOQ, and shelf life?

Go — Margin holds under realistic FX, freight, and delay, and the MOQ fits.

Hold — It only works optimistically — renegotiate or split the MOQ.

Stop — MOQ, shelf life, or cash can't absorb the buy.

Final decision

· Final decision

Buy at this price?

Go — Ceiling met and every gate passed — GO at your buy price.

Hold — A gate is on hold — renegotiate before you commit.

Stop — A gate is a stop — no-go on this product.

Common mistakes
  • 1Pricing off the supplier's FOB instead of the landed cost.
  • 2Confusing markup with margin — a 30% markup is not a 30% margin.
  • 3Ignoring import-VAT cash timing in the cash-flow plan.
  • 4Buying an MOQ the channel can't clear before it ages out.
  • 5Using today's FX rate with no buffer.
  • 6Forgetting the shelf-life clock starts at production, not arrival.
Worked example Landed cost

The supplier's €12.40 FOB is not the price you sell from.

  • Supplier FOB€ 12.40 / unit
  • + freight + insurance+ € 1.15
  • + duty + clearance+ € 0.94
  • + FX buffer (3%)+ € 0.29
  • True landed cost€ 14.78
  • Channel sell price€ 22.00
  • Margin at landed cost32.8%
Decision: 32.8% clears the 30% floor — GO, but only after locking freight and the FX rate.

Decision record

Record your outcome — a static, no-login summary you can copy, print, or screenshot.

Target sell price + channel
The price and role you're pricing for
Landed cost / unit
With no placeholder components
Required vs achieved margin
As a percentage
Target buy price + ceiling
The most you can pay the supplier
MOQ + months of sell-through
The dead-stock check
Shelf-life window
After transit and clearance
FX buffer applied
As a percentage
Decision
GO / HOLD / NO-GO
Key assumptions + owners
Who owns each risk

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