外语系 纺织商务英语 Textile Business English

Module Seven Contract and Order

Task 2 Offer and Counter-offer

1.To master the basic terms of offer and counter- offer 2.To make an offer in reply to an enquiry. 3.To show disagreement to some contents about the offer. 4.To understand the importance of offer and counter-offer. Learning Objectives

Lead-in—Group discussion 1. How can we make an acceptable offer? 2. What is a counter-offer? How to make a reasonable counter-offer?

Useful expressions and patterns  1. Your enquiry is having our immediate attention and we hope to make you an acceptable offer in a few days.  2. We thank you for enquiry of July 6 and are sending you, under separate cover, a specimen of … together with our price list.  3. With reference to your letter of …, enquiring for …, we enclose our Quotation No… for your consideration and trust you will find your prices acceptable.  5.Our best offer is given below subject to our final confirmation.

Useful expressions and patterns  6.This offer must be withdrawn if not accepted within three days.  7.We wish to state that our quotation is subject to alternation without notice and to our confirmation at the time of placing your order.  8.In case you are not interested, we shall thank you if you will pass on this information to those who are engaged in this trade.  9.We very much regret that we are unable to supply you the small quantity you require.  10.This is our rock-bottom price, we can’t make any further concessions.  11.Your price is so high that we can hardly make a counter- offer.

Useful expressions and patterns  12.We are unable to accept your offer as other suppliers have offered us more favorable terms.  13.Our counter-offer is in line with the international market.  14.Let’s meet each other halfway.  15.As a token of friendship, we accept your counter-offer.  16.Considerable quantities have been sold at this price, it is impossible to make may further reduction.  17.As the market is weak at present, your quotation is unworkable.

Listening Dialogue 1 Notes to the dialogue  1.Shanghai Textile and Apparel Corporation 上海纺织服装公司  2.best selling lines 畅销货  3.marvelous 好的，棒的  4.CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight) 成本加保险费运费价  The seller must pay the costs and freight necessary to bring the goods to the named destination. The seller has to procure marine insurance against the risk of loss of or damage to the goods during the carriage. The seller contracts with the insurer and pays the insurance premium.

Listening Dialogue 1 Notes to the dialogue  5.FOB (Free on Board) 船上交货价 （离岸价）  The goods are placed on board a ship by the seller at a port of shipment named in the sale contract. The risk of loss of or damage to the goods is transferred from the seller to the buyer when the goods pass the ship’s rail.  6.commission 佣金, 代理人或经纪人代委托人进行交易而收取的报 酬  commission agent 佣金代理人  commission house 代办行，佣金行  commission merchant 代办商

Listening Dialogue 1 Notes to the dialogue  7.firm offer 实盘，不能撤销的发价  e.g. We are making you this offer subject to your reply reaching here before the 25th this month. 兹报实盘以你方在本月 25 日前回 复到有效。  We offer firm the following subject to your acceptance within 5 days. 兹报实盘以你方 5 日内接受为准。  8.non-firm offer 虚盘, 无约束性的报盘 ( offers without engagement or without obligation)  e.g. We are making an offer for the following, subject to our final confirmation. 兹开下述报盘以我方最后确认为准。  This offer is made subject to the goods being unsold. 此报盘以 货物尚未出售为条件。

Dialogue 2 Notes to the dialogue  1. embroidered tablecloth 刺绣桌布  2. rock-bottom price 最低价格  3. terms of payment 支付方式 Listening

Listen to dialogue 2 and complete the following answers: 1. What product do they talk about? They talk about. 2. How large is A’s order? 3. How about the discount? 4. Do they have any specific request for packing?

Reading and Analyzing Offer and Counter-offer

Reading and Analyzing Brainstorming Question What makes an effective offer and counter-offer?

Offer and Counter-offer Sending the Sample Books and Offering Dear Sir, We thank you for your enquiry of May 2nd. As requested, we are airmailing you, under separate cover, one catalogue and two sample books for you Shanghai printed pure silk fabrics. We hope they will reach you in due course and will help you in making you selection. In order to start a concrete transaction between us, we take pleasure in making you special offer, subject to our final confirmation, as follows:

Offer and Counter-offer Article: No Shanghai Printed Pure Silk Fabrics. Design: No A. Specification: 30×36. Minimum: 20,000 yards. Packing: In bales or in wooden cases, at seller’s option. Price: US Dollars…….per yard C.I.F. Lisbon. Shipment: To be made in three equal monthly installments, beginning from July, 2002.

Offer and Counter-offer Payment: By confirmed, irrevocable L/C payable by draft at sight to be opened 30 days before the time of shipment. We trust the above will be acceptable to you and await with keen interest you trial order. Yours faithfully, …

Offer and Counter-offer The Buyer’s Counter-Offer and Request to Reduction of the Price Dear Sirs, Thank you for your letter of the 20th May, offering us 1000 sets of the woolen underwear at C&F Shanghai, usual terms. In reply, we very much regret to state that our users here find your price too high and out of line with the prevailing market level. Information indicates that some parcels of Japan goods have been sold at lower price compared with yours.

Offer and Counter-offer Such being the case, it is impossible for us to persuade our users to accept your price, as material of similar quality is easily obtainable at a much lower figure. Should you be prepared to reduce your limit by, say, 20%, we might come to terms. It is in view of our long-standing business relationship that we make you such a counter-offer. As the market is declining, we hope you will consider our counter-offer most favorably and cable us acceptance at your earliest convenience. We are anticipating your early reply. Yours faithfully, …….

New Words and Expressions  1.under separate cover 另封，另函  2.in due course 及时地，在适当的时候  3.a concrete transaction 具体业务  4.in making you a special offer 优惠报盘  5.by irrevocable L/C, payable by draft at sight 凭不可撤销信用证即期汇票支付

Group Discussion Read the letters and discuss the following questions. 1. What is offer and counter-offer? 2. Do you think the counter-offer a good one? Why? 3. If you are the seller, what will you state in your reply against the counter-offer?

Assignment Compose a dialogue on the following situation: Commodity: Chinese silk Price: US $ 150 per yard CFR Shanghai Quantity: 2500 yards Payment: by irrevocable L/C at sight Counteroffer: US $ 135 per yard The buyer asks for a 8% reduction in the price. The seller refuses to consider any reduction, but gives a 2% commission. Finally they conclude the business.

Reference For more topic-related information, Pease refer to the following websites: dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/counter+offer CounterOffers.htm