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International Trade vocabulary · Quotations and Orders

Sample

Meaning in international trade, with examples

/ˈsæmpəl/nounCore term

In international trade, sample means: A small quantity or a single piece of a product sent to a buyer so they can check its quality, design or specifications before ordering.

In Turkish: numune, örnek

How it is used

Common in the early stages of business: 'request samples', 'send samples by courier', 'approve a sample'. A 'pre-production sample' or 'shipment sample' is checked later in the order. Samples often travel by express courier, and customs may still ask for their value.

Example sentences

  1. We sent three samples by courier; please let us know when the buyer approves them.

  2. The bulk production must match the approved sample.

Common collocations

  • send samples
  • approve a sample
  • free sample
  • sample of no commercial value
  • pre-production sample
  • quotationA written statement from a seller giving the price, quantity, delivery and payment conditions for goods a buyer is interested in.
  • minimum order quantityThe smallest quantity of a product a supplier is willing to sell in one order, often set by production or packaging limits.
  • ATA CarnetAn international customs document that lets goods such as trade fair exhibits, commercial samples and professional equipment enter a country temporarily without paying duties.
  • place an orderTo ask a supplier officially to supply goods, usually by sending a purchase order or accepting a quotation.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Quotations and Orders

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