Generated with the assistance of AI.
You are preparing a proposal for an overseas distributor. You know your product price, but several questions remain: will the order fit in one truck, who is responsible for delivery, and how much will the shopper eventually pay? We created Expanta’s free tools for exporters to support precisely these conversations. They help you organise your inputs and compare scenarios before sending an offer.
1. Pallet planner: check the space before booking freight
Real loads do not always consist of identical pallets. One buyer orders Euro pallets, another needs half pallets, and some products have their own packaging dimensions. The total floor area is only part of the calculation: the individual units also need to fit together.
The truck pallet planner supports 1200 × 800 mm Euro pallets, 1200 × 1000 mm industrial pallets, 800 × 600 mm half pallets, 600 × 400 mm quarter pallets and custom dimensions. Enter a quantity for each type, add loaded weight and height, and specify whether pallets may rotate by 90°.
The result includes a proposed layout from above and the number of pallets placed. If the complete load fits on the floor, the tool shows separate options for using the remaining space, such as additional Euro pallets or half pallets. These options must not be added together: each uses the same available space.
This lets you explore different order sizes before speaking with a carrier. Use the actual trailer dimensions and allow for clearances and any overhang. The drawing represents one load layer; the carrier still needs to confirm matters such as axle loads and securing. The algorithm proposes a layout it has found, without guaranteeing maximum space utilisation.
2. Incoterms selector: clarify carriage and risk
A short reference to FCA, CPT or DAP has practical consequences for an export offer. Saying that the seller will arrange transport does not, by itself, establish when risk passes to the buyer or who handles unloading and import clearance.
The Incoterms® 2020 selector guides you through these questions. It assumes dispatch from Poland and lets you choose a destination and road, rail, sea or air transport. You then clarify the seller’s and buyer’s responsibilities. The result is a suggested rule with an explanation of the allocation of obligations.
Pay particular attention to the difference between paying for carriage and bearing risk. Under CPT and CIP, the seller arranges and pays for the agreed carriage, while risk generally passes when the goods are handed to the first carrier. Under DAP, the seller bears risk until delivery at the agreed destination, ready for unloading. These distinctions are explained in ICC’s Incoterms® 2020 guidance.
Use the suggestion as a starting point for discussions with your trading partner. Include the precise named place or port and the edition of the rules in the offer and contract. The tool helps prepare the conversation; both parties still need to agree the complete terms of their transaction.
3. FMCG shelf-price calculator: see your product from the buyer’s perspective
A competitive factory price does not necessarily translate into a competitive price on an overseas shelf. Freight, import charges, distributor and retailer margins, and final tax all affect the outcome. It is useful to model that journey before negotiations begin.
In the FMCG shelf-price calculator, enter a net unit price on an FCA or DAP basis. For FCA, freight per pallet is allocated across the product units. A DAP price already includes the agreed carriage, so the tool does not add it again. If you do not know the units per pallet, a carton helper estimates the count from dimensions, weight limits and units per carton.
Distributor and retailer gross margins both default to 40%, and either can be changed. Gross margin is the margin as a share of the net selling price. At 40% GM, divide cost by 0.60 rather than multiplying it by 1.40. The distinction matters particularly when a product passes through two distribution stages.
For an illustrative calculation, assume an FCA price of EUR 12 per unit, freight of EUR 60 per pallet and 100 units per pallet. Freight adds EUR 0.60 per unit. With no other costs assumed, the distributor’s cost base is EUR 12.60. Applying a 40% gross margin gives EUR 21; applying a further 40% retailer margin gives EUR 35 before tax. At an illustrative tax rate of 20%, the gross price is EUR 42. This demonstrates the calculation and is not a tax rate assigned to a particular product or market.
Results appear in the quote currency and your selected destination currency. Enter an exchange rate yourself or fetch an NBP reference rate for a supported currency pair. The fetched rate includes the table date. You can then compare scenarios and see which assumptions have the greatest effect on the final price.
Duty, excise and VAT: verify the inputs for your product
The FMCG calculator assumes dispatch from Poland and Polish product origin. Users verify and enter duty and excise amounts and the applicable retail tax rate themselves. These rates are not retrieved automatically, and missing inputs are not treated as zero. A link to the European Commission’s Access2Markets helps users find information for their product and trade route.
The calculation separates import costs from tax on the final selling price. Recoverable import VAT is not included in the cost base used to calculate margins. Non-recoverable charges and other costs need to be included according to the transaction’s circumstances. The result remains a scenario based on the supplied inputs.
How to use the tools before sending an export offer
Start with the order size. Check the pallet layout and prepare the load dimensions and weight. Then use the Incoterms selector to support an agreement with the buyer on delivery arrangements and risk.
Calculate the price through the distribution chain. Enter known costs and compare margin, exchange-rate and pallet-quantity assumptions. You can then compare the resulting price with competing products through a store check in the destination market.
If you need a freight price, the tools can prepare an enquiry for you to copy and share with your chosen carrier. No message is sent automatically. Direct contact with a transport partner will be added once that partnership is in place.
Try Expanta’s free export tools
All three tools run in your browser, including on mobile, in Polish and English. No account is required. Return to them when preparing another proposal, exploring a new market or changing an order size.
Open the free tools for exporters and start with your own product data. If you need help interpreting the result, selecting a market or discussing terms with a distributor, explore our export consulting services. Calculations prepare the ground for a decision; a discussion helps connect them to the realities of your business.
Explore how we can help: Export consulting.
Apply the insight to your business.
Discuss a specific market or challenge in an export consultation.
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