The most usual form of export price quotation is C.I.F. and a named foreign port. This means that the exporter is responsible for paying all costs until the goods arrive at the foreign port.

To make the product more attractive to foreign buyer, exporters sometimes quote F.O.B. price and a named foreign port or city. For example, a Japanese firm may quote F.O.B. Hamburg price to its European customers.

Price are usually quoted in U.S. dollars. The foreign importer can then calculate his landed cost for the product by adding to the C.I.F. price quoted, the import duty, local taxes and local transportation costs.