Compare Tank 300 FOB and CIF quotations with named places, actual configuration, carrier conditions, insurance scope and destination costs.
Start with one identified vehicle and configuration
Record VIN, production, drivetrain and the equipment included in the price. Use the current sourcing guide to keep the offers comparable. A quote for a stock petrol vehicle is not equivalent to one including a modified roof setup or a plug-in system. Identify whether inspection and preparation have already been accepted or remain provisional. If the supplier changes the candidate, repeat the comparison instead of carrying forward the earlier freight assumption. Photographs and dimensions should describe the configuration that will be handed over, not a brochure car or an accessory package later removed.
Specify the named place and applicable term
Ask for the full delivery basis, named port or place and agreed Incoterms edition where used. FOB and CIF are maritime terms whose allocation must be understood within the actual movement. Do not assume a supplier’s shorthand is technically suitable for a container or multimodal arrangement; ask the freight and contract professionals whether another term fits better. The export process guide separates documentary and operational responsibilities. Incoterms do not by themselves answer every payment, ownership, inspection or dispute question. Those matters require the actual commercial agreement rather than an interpretation of three letters in a chat quotation.
Compare China-side work and excluded charges
Identify inspection, preparation, inland movement, documentation, port handling and any other services that the seller includes or excludes. Request amounts or an agreed pricing method, validity and assumptions rather than treating an unexplained handling allowance as a complete answer. The vehicle price guide keeps vehicle value distinct from movement costs. If accessory correction, tyre replacement or further diagnostics are needed, name the scope separately. Do not count the same preparation twice under the vehicle and freight lines. A lower quoted term total can be misleading when essential work remains outside it or has not been priced for the actual candidate.
Obtain carrier acceptance for the actual vehicle
Provide the installed dimensions, spare-wheel and accessory arrangement, energy system and relevant preparation information to the carrier or agent. The shipping guide distinguishes RoRo and container planning. An electrified Tank may require system-specific declaration and handling answers; do not claim a universal shipping ban or universal acceptance. Modified height and protruding equipment can change the movement options. Ask what preparation, documentation and restrictions apply to the proposed shipment and who is responsible for meeting them. A generic SUV freight figure does not confirm that this vehicle, in its accepted configuration, can travel on the quoted service.
Check insurance cover separately from the freight total
Identify the insurer, covered value, applicable scope, exclusions, excess and claim procedure in the actual quotation. Obtain professional advice where a policy or trade-term obligation is unclear. CIF is not a promise that every loss, prior defect or damage event will be reimbursed. Preserve dated condition evidence and the pre-shipment inspection record to support the handover baseline. Ask how accessories are treated if they materially affect value. Do not compare two insurance lines as equivalent merely because both say insured; the policy and documented movement need to match the accepted vehicle and buyer’s requirements.
Add destination release and registration costs
Request current local estimates for relevant taxes, customs, port charges, agency work, inland delivery and compliance or registration steps. The landed-cost worksheet explains the wider boundary; the local professionals must supply the actual inputs. Do not interpret freight paid to a destination port as a road-ready delivered car. Separate known charges from conditional work and contingency. If local purchase is an alternative, use the import-versus-local comparison on the same preparation and readiness basis. A nominal saving on shipping can disappear when the destination requirements have been omitted or understated.
Approve the complete scope, not the cheapest label
Put the two quotations into a line-by-line comparison with the same candidate, validity period and acceptance assumptions. Highlight exclusions, unresolved carrier answers and the party responsible for each stage. Have the agreement reviewed where risk, insurance or delivery wording affects the transaction. Proceed when the complete exposure and responsibilities are understood; pause when important charges or acceptance conditions remain unknown. This guide explains how to compare a Tank 300 movement proposal, not the applicable tax rate or enforceable legal allocation for every jurisdiction. FOB or CIF can describe an arrangement, but neither replaces due diligence on the vehicle and the actual contract.
Evidence to collect
- Same VIN and included configuration
- Complete named-place and term wording
- China-side services and exclusions itemised
- Carrier and policy answers for the actual system
- Destination costs and responsibilities separately confirmed
Primary references
ICC material explains trade-term context, not this shipment’s quote, insurance policy or contract. Obtain professional confirmation of the actual named-place arrangement and responsibilities.
ICC Academy: Incoterms questions and scope ↗Frequently asked questions
Does a CIF quote mean the Tank 300 is road-ready at destination?
No. Confirm destination release, taxes, inland movement, compliance and registration separately from freight and insurance.
Can one SUV freight quote cover a modified or plug-in Tank automatically?
No. Obtain carrier acceptance and preparation requirements for the actual dimensions, accessories and energy system.