Field notes
Short essays on export documentation, sanctions screening, payment closure, and markets most Indian exporters miss. Written for traders and operators, not for search engines — though both are welcome.
How to verify an Indian exporter in ten minutes: IEC, GSTIN, CIN and the checks that matter
Five public records tell you whether an Indian supplier is a registered, active business. Here is where to look, what each number means, and which mismatches should make you slow down.
Pre-shipment inspection in India: what SGS or Intertek actually check, who pays, and when to book
An independent inspection at the loading port is the cheapest insurance a first-time buyer can add. What it covers, how it fits with an L/C, and what happens if the lot fails.
Makhana (fox nut) export from India: HS 2008 19 21, grades, packing and what buyers ask
Makhana now has its own export tariff lines. What the codes are, how the size grades work, how it is packed and what a buyer should ask for.
Basmati rice exporters in India: ten questions to ask before you choose one
Every exporter says "premium 1121". These are the questions that separate a quote you can compare from one you cannot.
Sourcing agent, merchant exporter or manufacturer in India: who should you buy from?
Three kinds of business sell "Indian products" to foreign buyers, and they carry different risks. Where each one fits, and where we sit.
Phytosanitary certificate and certificate of origin from India: what each proves, who issues it and when you need it
Two documents cause most of the paperwork delays on food shipments from India. What each one proves, who issues it, and the mistakes that stall a letter of credit.
Pusa 1121 basmati: Golden Sella vs Steam, and the specs buyers should actually compare
What "Pusa 1121", "Golden Sella" and "Steam" actually mean, how sella is made, the specs worth comparing across suppliers, and what moves the price per ton.
Green chilli exports from India: the G4 variety, grades, and certificates
G4/Sannam-S4 green chilli from Guntur: real HS code, grade specs, and which of the six certificates your shipment actually needs by destination.
Okra exports from India: grades, why Gulf buyers call it Bamia, and what each destination requires
India grows 60% of the world's okra. What export grade actually means, why Gulf buyers search for it as Bamia, and which certificates each destination needs.
How long does an order from India actually take, start to finish?
Buyers ask for a transit time and get a number that ignores production, documentation, and destination customs. Here is the full timeline, not just the ocean leg.
FOB, CIF, or DDP: which Incoterm should a first-time buyer choose?
Three Incoterms cover almost every quote we write. Each one moves the same risk to a different party at a different point. Here is how to pick without guessing.
What certifications does an Indian spice shipment actually need?
FSSAI, COA, phytosanitary, RCMC. Buyers ask for these by name without knowing what any of them actually check. Here is what each one verifies.
FCL vs LCL: the container-loading decision that decides your landed cost.
Below roughly 12-15 CBM, LCL beats a full container on landed cost. Above it, FCL wins. Here is where that line actually sits for handicrafts, spices, and mixed loads.
LC vs TT: how we structure payment for a buyer's first order.
Letter of Credit costs 0.5-1.5% and slows the order by days. TT is free and fast but leans on trust. Here is the split we actually use, and when it changes.
ANVISA, FDA, Ministerio de Salud: three regulators, three dossiers, one shipment.
Every Indian pharma raw-material exporter shipping to Brazil, the US, and Costa Rica ends up building three versions of the same dossier. Here is what each regulator actually needs.
Why Sella basmati is displacing US long-grain in Central America.
Central America imports 95% of the rice it consumes. For four decades that was US long-grain. Since 2022, Indian Sella basmati has taken measurable share in Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
INSTC vs Suez: how the North-South Transport Corridor cuts India-Russia transit by 40%.
The multi-modal route through Bandar Abbas and Astrakhan cuts India-Russia cargo transit from 25–30 days to 15–20 days. Here is the economics — and where it still costs more than it saves.
A nine-day delay on a Lima shipment, avoided by a single line on the BL.
A single-letter variation between the consignee on a draft Bill of Lading and the buyer's SUNAT registration almost cost a customer nine days at the Port of Callao.
RoDTEP at HS-8: why the four extra digits matter more than the rate.
Most exporters classify at HS-6 and accept the four-digit rate. We file at HS-8 because the scheme is paid at HS-8 — the rate often shifts more than the wording suggests.
Why we screen every counterparty against four sanctions lists, not one.
OFAC SDN is the headline list. UN consolidated, EU, and UK each carry entities the others do not. Skipping the other three is how a clean OFAC screen becomes a customs hold in Algiers.