82 English Conversations for Business and Trade

[Music]

business negotiations

one sail agency

dialogue one we’re interested in

locating an exclusive agent to sell our

electrical appliances are you interested

in representing us what benefit can we

get if we act as your agent we’ll offer

our sale agent reasonable quantities of

marketing and technical literature and

other marketing materials free of charge

anything else we also would provide

training free of charge that sounds

really attractive yes if you can confirm

that you wish to proceed with a

distributorship of our company we’ll

send you a letter of appointment and can

also discuss the signing of a full

distributor contract what will be the

minimum annual sales you’d like us to

complete at least 100,000 un well if

prices are reasonable we’re ready to

become your agent as to the prices we

will send you a list all right we’ll

make close study about it and give you a

reply as soon as possible dialogue -

will you consider our proposal to act as

your sole agent could you give me some

idea of your monthly quantity guarantee

1000 sets per month how do you think of

that don’t you think this monthly

turnover is rather conservative for a

sole agent no for this new product

that’s the reasonable figure we are

experienced in marketing products

similar to yours you have to consider

other factors that affect sales maybe

you are right did you just say that you

represented other suppliers in this line

yes

if you appoint us as your sole agent the

turnover will be greatly increased but

as our agent you are not to handle the

same or similar product of other origins

of course that’s the general practice

but we expect our principals to offer

advertising support and spare parts

service of course that’s the general

practice as well we believe you are the

right one to be our sole agent in your

country as your sole agent will make

greater efforts to push your products

you

to

processing trade dialog one we’re

thinking of having products processed in

China we are glad to hear that as it’s

known to all that assembly in our

country can reduce costs sharply that’s

why we come here may I know what type of

products you intend to process computers

to be processed with our materials and

designs what’s the process to mount ten

thousand sets how long will it be

required to process this amount of goods

it will take fifty to sixty days to

process the goods from the day we

receive the material how much is your

processing charge 30 US dollars percent

I think the processing fees shall be

fixed on the basis of world labor price

with a discount of 20% that depends on

the labor needed and the quantity to be

processed we can’t give you that much

considering your quantity isn’t large

enough alright we will supply you the

material on time but you must guarantee

you make delivery of the finished

products to us on time we shall ship the

assembled finished products to you at

the port destination as instructed by

you all the shipping expenses shall be

borne by you should you fail to deliver

in time all losses thus incurred shall

be borne by you okay

dialogue - what about the damage rate of

parts and components in case the damage

rate exceeds two percent you shall

provide at its own expense for the

excessive shortage of parts and

components needed for assembling 2% is

too low as we all know 3% is the

international practice well we agree to

that the supplied materials shall be

delivered to our warehouse at your

expense

if any defect is found in the materials

supplied by you we will advise you of it

immediately and you will send over

replacements in time I think we may

accept it you shall process in strict

accordance with the design and deliver

the finished products in conformity with

the contract terms respecting the time

of delivery quality and quantity we

agree

you

three compensation trade

dialogue 1 we want to import some disk

production equipment through

compensation trade but compensation

trade is a kind of loan you have to pay

interest every year yes we know that but

on the condition of the limited funds we

have to consider this trade form

compensation trade is good for both of

us yes of course

which would you prefer buy buy back or

counter purchase buy buy back buy back

is more convenient than counter purchase

that means we should supply technical

know-how and equipment and you pay us

through successive deliveries of the

resultant product that’s right what do

you think about it how many sets of the

equipment do you want and how long can

we expect you to pay off the loan

we’d like to import two sets and plan to

pay off the loan in two years what’s

your plan based on the production

capacity of your disc production

equipment and current price of discs

this is the detailed information please

look through it

well I believe the feasibility of this

project is excellent I will go back and

to have a careful study that’s great

hope to hear something favorable from

you soon

dialogue - are you interested in

compensation trade we are very

interested in the deal

I think the compensation Trade Agreement

suits you better

same here but we’d prefer the counter

purchase to buy back that’s acceptable

but I’d like to know what products we

will counter purchase there are two

choices for you

one is that you counter purchase our

sheets and the other is that we can

process or assemble products for you

we would like to counter purchase your

sheets as compensation I really

appreciate that we guarantee the quality

of the sheet how long do you suggest the

time limit one year we shall reimburse

you the total value of the entire

equipment by installments in a year but

the price of the sheet shall be fixed on

the basis of the world market price good

we agree

you

for consignment trade dialog one

do you accept consignment Goods yes as

an importer we can make a consignment

arrangement how can I help you

great we are looking for a consign II

what can you supply canned food

including canned fish canned fruit

canned meat canned mushrooms canned

vegetables and other canned food good

how do we make a start then very easy at

the beginning we will send you a small

quantity to you for a trial you sell at

prices given on the price list as soon

as we find that this small quantity

answers our expectation we will make you

consignment of some considerable

quantity your proposal is completely

workable if it were successful this time

we hoped to repeat it from time to time

but what if we failed on sale or return

basis okay we will try the best we can

with the consignment

dialogue to

shall we talk about the period of time

okay

usually we signed the contracts with

other consignees based on 12 months will

you follow the suit yes we’ll follow the

suit what about from the beginning of

next month

that means the sales commenced on May

1st 2009 and continued through May 1st

2010 and we suggest that after starting

the operation we two sides meet around

December 1st to decide on acceptable

sales for the remainder of the

consignment period ok do you have any

idea about the dispatch we will inform

you as soon as we are short of stock in

that case we will suffer great

inconvenience for the shipment we’d

prefer being noticed quarterly I believe

it will certainly benefit both of us

alright

five invitation of tender and bid

dialogue 1 we are going to make an

international bidding for rare metal

exploitation are you interested in our

invitation to tender for the project yes

we are very interested and we have the

qualifications to accept the project

glad to hear that when will you start

the invitation of the tender we will

start it two weeks later is it a secret

opening bid or a public one a public

opening bid what’s the time set for the

bidders to submit their bids one month

from May 5th to June 5th where can I get

the tender documents you have to come to

our office for the tender documents ok I

will send someone to get it at once

dialog - would you please tell me your

terms of tender the project has been

listed to the state annual plan and

we’ve got the working drawing and the

project budget are they made by the

design organization approved by the

relative authorities of China of course

they are made by a design organization

approved by the competent Department

under the State Council what about the

land for construction it has been

requisitioned already do you have the

building permit yes the competent

construction administrative Department

issued the license I see thank you

you

six joint venture

dialogue 1

what type of joint venture do you

usually accept we usually accept an

equity joint venture that means each of

the two firms will invest a certain

portion of the capital and share the

profits or losses in proportion to our

respective contributions yes oh

are there any regulations on the foreign

proportion of investment our joint

venture law provides that the lowest

foreign investment proportion shall be

25 percent but there isn’t an upper

limit doesn’t the Chinese side always

want to hold a bigger portion not always

is that a joint venture can operate only

after having obtained approval of your

government that’s correct is the income

tax on joint venture heavy no you can

enjoy preferential treatment

dialogue - what would be the total

amount of the investment the total

amount of investment would be twenty

million dollars how much would you be

prepared to invest in this venture will

lay out about fifty five percent of the

total investment this includes seven

million dollars in cash four million

dollars for factory buildings the right

to use the site etc then we’d like to

contribute the rest forty five percent

including five million dollars in cash

four million dollars for production

equipment and testing instruments the

cash figure is large enough to provide

the construction funds and circulation

capital I think so

how long will joint venture last I would

suggest three years to start with how do

you like it alright as long as we can

run it well the period can be prolonged

in the future

seven cooperative venture

dialogue 1 we are pleased to know you

want to produce digital cameras in China

we have to lower the cost as the

financial crisis is so grave we can

produce your product with lower cost and

find quality I’m sure of that

as nearly everything is made in China

this also prompts this decision of my

firm so shall we talk about the details

we’d like this cooperative enterprise

not very big for the total investment 5

million un is enough then how much would

the registered capital be how about 2.5

million un sounds reasonable now what’s

the percentage of your contribution 50%

of the total investment that includes

cash machinery and equipment so we will

provide the balance 50% which would

include the factory premises and right

to use the site deal

dialogue - how will the value of

contribution other than cash be

determined as to the patents and

trademarks they shall be assessed by a

group of experts and confirmed by the

Chinese side what kind of group of

experts the group of experts must be

from a qualified asset appraisal company

good will the land the existing

workshops and the new building be

assessed by them as well yes the

properties shall be assessed and then

checked verified and recorded by the

state-owned assets supervision and

administration Department the assets

appraisal is really a system project so

it is

you

eight

merger and acquisition dialogue 1 are

you interested in holding merger talks

considering the current financial

condition of our company I’d say yes but

I’m not sure whether it will be accepted

by the majority of shareholders so far

the major shareholders of our company

have said they will consider the merger

offer that’s inspiring news if we could

join together both our firms would

benefit a lot and a win-win situation

would occur I agree our merger can

enhance our competitiveness so you’d

better make a proposal for the merger

and deliver it to every shareholder for

review good idea I’ll get down to it

right now dialogue - what do you think

about the merger offer between our two

firms

I’m afraid the merger offer is

inadequate can you say something about

that our accountant estimates the value

of our form at 1 million u.s. dollars

and of your firm at five hundred

thousand US dollars through the merger

it would be a huge boost for you but

little benefit for us but both of us are

now facing a fierce competition pressure

in the global market

so merger is the best choice otherwise

we’ll have to enter into competition

with each other what do you want me to

do a little deliberation would have

deterred your idea well then I will give

you my final decision

in 10 days

ix technology transfer dialog 1 we are

considering buying the patent do you

plan to transfer the patent right to

Chinese companies yes we are thinking

the same in what form will you transfer

the patent we’d like to transfer the

right to use the patent in the form of

license will the license be exclusive or

non-exclusive non-exclusive and I’d like

to know how much tax the Chinese

government imposes for using patent

rights 20% but the license only gives

one the right to manufacture the

equipment what about the technology not

included in the patent don’t worry we’ll

provide you with all the information and

also five technicians needed to

manufacture the equipment ok how long

will you allow us to use the patent

three years how much will you ask for

$50,000 as initial payment and 3 percent

of the sales price on each product sold

the price is so high I’m afraid that we

cannot accept that dialogue - are you

interested in transferring your

trademark to us you mean the commercial

franchising kind of but only for the

trademark not include trade name and the

business model I see you name your

products after mine right does that mean

we have to provide you with the full

information about the technology of our

products that won’t be necessary as we

have the capability to produce the

product but you also need to send

specialists to give us on-the-spot

guidance we’ll consider it

you

ten drafting a contract dialog one let’s

talk about drawing up a draft of the

contract okay how long will it take you

to draw up a contract

I’ll have the contract drawn up this

week we expect to have a final contract

ready in a week in that case I will try

to send the draft to you on Wednesday

and I think we should try to meet early

next week to sign the contract and go

over a few final details that would be

fine I’ll give you a call at the end of

the week to set up an appointment all

right by the way is it likely to sign

the contract then I hope so

dialogue - there are a few points which

I’d like to bring up concerning the

contract I’d like to hear payment terms

is important in a contract we insist on

confirmed and irrevocable letter of

credit that’s fully acceptable to our

side and we shall make the contract more

specific on the delivery okay I’ll see

that you get the delivery on time

shipping by SS American as usual is that

right good and please make sure the

place of delivery the transport route

are included take it easy

this deal is as important to you as it

is to us

you

you

eleven checking a contract

dialogue 1 here is the draft of the

sales contract for the watch as you are

going to buy you’ve made such an

efficient work you flatter me please go

over it and see if everything is in

order

ok but I need a few minutes to read it

would you like to have a seat

and drink some coffee thank you take it

easy well I’ve read all the terms

carefully hmm you’ve done a pretty good

job it’s well prepared does that mean we

can prepare the originals of the

contract yes our next step is to sign

the contract dialog - good morning mr.

Smith I’m calling about the draft of the

contract you sent me I made a very close

study of it do you have any questions

yes first question is the packing as the

verbal agreement says that you will use

wooden cases but you still write cartons

don’t you remember that sorry will amend

that next one is the term of payment you

choose da but we also want to get the

terms of the contracts more in our favor

we prefer to have the payments made by

LC through a negotiating Bank in Sweden

I’m not qualified to make decisions for

this term and anything else and the last

one is the place of arbitration could

you tell me why you wish to have it

carried out in your country it should

take place in a third country that’s

international practice we can’t break it

okay I’ve written down all your

questions and I need to report to my

boss

you

twelve before signing a contract dialog

one here are the two originals of the

contract we prepared are they written

both in Chinese and English yes we’ll

sign two originals each in Chinese and

English language are they equally

authentic in terms of law of course the

Chinese and English texts are equally

authentic what if there is inconsistency

or conflict between English and Chinese

version if there is any inconsistency or

conflict between English and Chinese

versions the English version shall

prevail dialogue - what will be the

effective date of this contract the

effective date will begin from July 6th

2009 what’s the term of this contract

this contract is valid for one year I’m

afraid that one year is too short and

this contract must be valid for at least

three years if everything’s going

satisfactorily it could be extended for

two years

alright we accept your suggestion

you

13 signing ceremony

dialogue 1 what time will the contract

be ready for signing it’s ready now

shall we sign it with pleasure

I suggest we sign the original of the

contract with the attachment I agree

where should I sign sign on the dotted

line well it’s done let’s counter sign

it okay

dialogue 2 now that it’s all down on

paper there shouldn’t be any problem

great I’m glad our negotiation has come

to a successful conclusion thanks again

it’s been good working with you my

pleasure I hope this will lead to

further business between us I hope so

I think both of us deserve a good rest

after the long negotiation yes to

celebrate the signing of our contract

and our first cooperation our general

manager wants to host a dinner would you

like to join us yes I’d like to

you

you

14 terminating a contract

dialogue 1 what should we do if either

one of us desires to terminate the

contract during the one year trial

period the contract can be terminated

with only one month prior to notice and

after the one year trial period

if you notify us 6 months beforehand you

can cancel the contract will there be

any claim damages for that of course

either party shall be liable for its

breach of contract and indemnify for all

losses thus incurred to the other party

ok dialogue 2 we’d like to contract out

of the project if you don’t mind but the

contract still has one year to go can

you give me the reason you’ve failed to

honor the contract so we are entitled to

cancel it that’s the reason you mean the

notice of shipment but I’ve told you

that’s a misunderstanding

your explanation won’t go down well with

us we insist on cancelling it what about

the subsequent work after the

termination we’ll have a representative

to do all the subsequent work that’s

really a pity we cannot go on I feel the

same

you

fifteen expiration of a contract

dialogue 1 the expiration of the

contract is coming would you like a

renewal I’m afraid we don’t want to

renew it well in that case the contract

will become void automatically when time

comes yes I see nice working with you

for the last three years same here we

hope to do business with you in the

future

absolutely we will dialogue - we’ll be

discussing the renewal of our contract

with hardware what are your conditions

for renewal the same as before I’m

afraid we cannot accept that we have

done a market price survey for major raw

material and got to know the price of

the raw material has been half lower

during the last year what do you suggest

then we’d like you to make a reduction

in half we feel it is necessary to

discuss your proposals in more detail

how far you’re willing to go with these

negotiations will depend on you

imports and exports

one asking for materials

dialogue 1 hello is that mr. keys yes

who it that nice to speak to you mr.

keys this is wang jian from ABC trading

company

oh nice to hear from you mr. Wang well I

called because I’m interested in a new

product you have advertised in a trade

journal and I want to say it seems like

a promising item glad to hear that then

what you know I have not seen any

details about it yet so I think if oh I

see I will send you some brochures just

tell me your address

that will be good thank you for your

trouble

my address is number 2 for 6 Newton

Avenue I can send the related

information to you this afternoon after

I study them would I have an opportunity

to discuss the possibility of selling it

in our market fine let’s do that and see

how it goes

shall we ok dialog - hello may I speak

to mr. Frank yes it is Frank speaking hi

mr. Frank this is Will Smith from Peak

injectors I get your name on an article

in the December issue of the British

Medical Journal nice to speak to you

what can I do for you we know that your

company manufactures injectors of

various sizes we would like to have some

real information about your products

you mean you like to see the samples

exactly the samples are now available

and will be sent free of charge would

you please tell me the dress of your

company that’s great our address is 36

Sayer Street to me please got it you’ll

receive it in 3 or 5 days

to formal inquiry dialogue one what

price per set do you suggest of article

number one to 7/8 with Lisbon as the

destination port in what currency would

you like us to give the price better in

dollars would you please give us an

approximate idea of the quantity you

require the size of our order depends

greatly on peace I think it’s better for

you to quote us your price first let me

see

it’s $600 per CIF Lisbon isn’t it

possible to give us a discount if your

order is a large one that’s probable

what do you mean by a large one I mean

that we’ll consider giving some discount

only when the order exceeds a total

amount of $10,000 or over how much is

the maximum or minimum discount our

maximum is 10 percent and the minimum is

3 percent okay I see I will try to buy

in a bulk dialogue - here is my inquiry

list I would like to have your lowest

quotation thank you for your inquiry

here are our CIF price lists are they

the lowest prices of course they’re only

for old friends like you all the prices

in the lists are the lowest prices but

could you quote us f OB prices okay

we’ll have f OB prices worked out by

this evening and let you have them

tomorrow morning by the way can you

quote in Australian dollars since the

exchange rate for US dollars has been

strong recently I can do that for you as

well thank you very much

three replying to the inquiry

dialogue 1 are you ready to quote us yes

I’ve just worked it out the price for

this commodity is 500 dollars per piece

CIF San Francisco is this your fo B

quotation no this is our quotation sheet

are the prices on the list firm offers

all the quotations on the list are

subject to our final confirmation that

means you may grant me huh well it

depends you’d better give the quantity

you’d like to order dialog - are the

prices your firm offers yes this is our

firm offers I can assure you that the

prices are highly competitive how long

will you keep the offers open it’s valid

within 5 days could you extend your

offers for 3 days longer I have to call

home for further decision three days is

a little longer what about two days as

there is a rush orders at present we can

hardly meet all the requirements fine

let me see

Wednesday that’s September 3rd is that

right yes looking forward to your reply

for bargaining

dialog one that’s a high price we can

hardly make a counteroffer you know in

our product there are natural herb

ingredients this adds to the cost but

makes the quality much superior I agree

with you there but 10% is too big a

difference

well we’ll reduce the price by 3%

I hope this sets the ball rolling I’m

afraid we can’t accept that

I’d suggest another 2% I’m afraid that

won’t do

hey 3% cut is really the best we can do

my offer was based on a reasonable

profit not on wild speculations that’s

why we prefer to order from your company

so how about another 1 percent discount

for an order exceeding 5 thousand

bottles to help us develop a new market

for your products can’t you cut your

price any more sorry we cannot alright

I’ll try to persuade my boss to accept

the price dialog too I have studied your

offer carefully and consulted our home

office we find your price 10% higher

than those offered by other suppliers

better quality usually means a higher

price

there is acute competition on the world

market and we need to do some sales

promotion for this new type well then

can you give us an idea that you

consider workable we can’t accept your

offer

unless the price is reduced by 10%

I appreciate your counteroffer but find

it too low to accept it’s unwise for

either of us to stick to our own price

how about meeting each other halfway and

in that way the business deal can be

concluded you certainly have a way of

talking me into it

alright let’s meet each other halfway

then the gap will be closed and our

business completed that

means $95 per piece it seems reasonable

we’ve kept the price close to the costs

of production

five ordering and accepting dialog 1

what is the minimum quantity of an order

for your goods the minimum quantity for

this product is 200 cartons do you have

that on hand will you wait while I see

if we have them in stock yes we will

submit further orders if this one is

completed to our satisfaction thank you

very much for the order hope this is a

good start for both of us

dialogue 2 we intend to book a trial

order with you glad to hear that we are

in a position to accept a special order

we’d like to place a very small order

will that work for you

usually the order we accept will be

substantial but as a new customer like

you we’d say it’s alright I would

appreciate that if possible we are going

to order 10 SEC’s good your order shall

have our prompt and careful attention

and one more question we have to discuss

with you what is it as a trial order if

we sell all the products in 3 months we

will pay for them if not we will send

them back to you well I agree with you

but the repeat order can’t have the same

terms

six mode of delivery dialog one the time

of delivery is very important to us

let’s discuss the delivery date next

please tell me your requirement first

I’d like to know how long it usually

takes you to make delivery delivery

would be a month from receipt of your LC

can you make the delivery before the

beginning of November we hope to keep up

with the Christmas rush okay I can

assure you we will deliver it to you on

time on condition that you should open

the LC as soon as possible we will do it

right away

by the way may I inspect them before

shipment sure will inform me before the

shipment dialog - what’s your earliest

delivery they may be delivered in a

month I’ll tell you the date as soon as

they are ready could you possibly affect

shipment more promptly I’m sorry to say

that we can’t advance the time of

delivery getting the goods ready making

out the documents and booking the

shipping space all these take time you

know you cannot expect us to make

delivery in less than a month

I see so will you confirm that you can

execute our order before the end of

April of course seven mode of payment

dialogue one in what currency will

payment be made we would prefer you to

pay for your imports in USD what’s your

regular practice concerning terms of

payment we usually accept payments by

irrevocable LC payable against shipping

documents could you make an exception

and accept DP for this transaction

occasionally we accept for trial order

but yours is a normal case isn’t it as

you know it doesn’t pay to open an LC

with a bank for such a small amount

I see only for this time I hope after

the first supply you will place regular

orders you bet

dialogue - is it possible to find

alternative terms for our future

business well it is only under very

special circumstances that we agree to

other payment terms it would help me

greatly if you would agree to da but we

will take more risks I’d like to think

it over please all right in view of our

long friendly relations we agree to your

requirement this time once and for all

thanks a lot

eight opening and Elsie

dialogue 1 hello anything I can do for

you hello mr. white this is Wang bin I’m

now calling to tell you that we have not

yet received the covering LC to date I

know the date of delivery is approaching

you must feel worried about that yes we

are so worried as we’ve come to an

agreement that you should open an LC 15

to 20 days before delivery yes I see our

letter of credit is bound to be opened

before March 1st that would be great

please call me as soon as you do that oh

I almost forgot that is the wording of

confirmed necessary for the letter of

credit I think so I’m always waiting for

your call bye dialogue - hello is that

mr. Connor this is Sarah yeah what’s the

matter

you sound like very anxious sorry we are

unable to guarantee shipment by the

agreed date due to a strike at our

factory oh what a pity what shall we do

then will you please explain our

situation to your customers and secure

their consent to extend the LC to

September 30th it’s a hot potato but I

will try if possible we will instruct

the Beijing City Commercial Bank to

extend the LC up to September 30th I

really appreciate that

nine packaging details dialog one I

would like to hear your requirements

about the product packaging issues

well the wrapping certainly should be

attractive and good quality too so

please pay attention to the design of

the inner packing all the packages must

be ready for window display we have

thought of that you can rest assured

that for this time we plan to use a

polythene wrapper for inner packaging

good waterproof material is usually used

for inner packing and in order to

accommodate to the American consumers

taste

we plan to print color embroidery

patterns on the exclusively designed

wrapping bag our packing will be on par

with that of other competitors if not

better great idea a wrapping that

catches the eye will certainly help push

the sails same here but don’t forget

that the barcodes should be marked on

the inner packing no we won’t

dialogue - do you have anything to say

about the outer packaging we intend to

use cartons for outer packing

are they standard export cartons yes

it’s cardboard cartons with stenciled

shipping marks but these goods will have

to go a long way before they arrive at

our ports

what if dampness gets into the packages

all the cartons are lined with plastic

sheets so they’re absolutely waterproof

I can assure you

then how many for one box - dozens

I’m afraid it’s over wait for that kind

of box will reinforce the box with metal

straps why not use the wooden case

wooden case is too heavy to handle

anyway the outer packing should be

suitable for long distance ocean

transportation please make sure that the

packing is strong enough to stand rough

handling certainly please

set your mind at rest do you have more

questions about packing no I will leave

it to you

ten making shipment

dialogue 1 would you tell me how you

intend to ship the goods to make it

easier for us to get the goods ready

we’re willing to ship them in two Lots

when will it be for each lot the first

lot is in September and the second one a

month later if so can you assure me of

shipping on time of course we assure you

that shipment will be made before

September 30

as soon as shipping space is booked

we shall advise you of the name of the

ship good I’m waiting for your good news

dialog to

how would you like us to ship the goods

as the goods are seasonal goods

you’d better ship them in one lot but it

will cause a lot of problems in our

shipment and it is very difficult to

book so much shipping space at one time

I understand your position but you

should try your best to make everything

go smoothly we will contact the shipping

company to meet your need I will phone

you in the afternoon to tell you the

results good

eleven about insurance dialogue one do

you mind telling me what kind of

insurance we’ve got for this order of

goods we generally cover insurance WPA

and war risks in the absence of

instruction from our clients WPA and war

risks are too narrow for a shipment of

this nature

what other insurances would you like to

add we want to add the risk of breakage

if broader coverage is required the

extra premium is for the buyers account

yes we know that what’s the extra

premium this kind of additional risk is

coverable at a premium of 2% okay please

cover the insurance for us dialogue - we

hope to have the goods insured at your

end okay for orders on CIF basis we

usually effect insurance against all

risks for 110 percent of the invoice

value with the people’s insurance

company of China will you arrange to

plus ten percent sorry as for the

percentage above the invoice value our

usual price is to accept 110 percent for

the sake of long and friendly business

relations with you we hope our request

will meet with your approval if we

comply with your request for covering

120 percent of the invoice value the

extra premium arising therefore will be

borne by you it does not matter what we

want to have is peace of mind

13 trade complaints one

dialogue one what’s wrong with the goods

some component parts were found covered

with rust on opening the package by

inspectors at the destination how many

of them are rusty nearly 10% of all are

there any possibilities that the long

distance transportation caused the rusty

the experts have reasons to believe the

rust had been there before the finishing

process but we also hold the inspection

certificate from our commodities

inspection bureau which states the

consignment was up to the standard for

export the only possibility is your

inspection bureau may select a few

packages at random

I’m afraid we only can give our opinion

after we have them rechecked dialogue -

we found a short weight in your last

consignment this kind of incident has

never occurred before how much is the

short weight - tonnes short weight on

the arrival have you got any proof here

is the copy of the inspection

certificate let me see it seems like we

had a mistake on the shipment we are

extremely sorry for that well it happens

what we need is quick shipment for the

two tonnes we will send them in this

week and we will inform you of the

details of the shipment as soon as

possible

14 trade complaints to

dialogue one sales department Zhang Jun

speaking what can I do for you good

afternoon mr. Zhang this is Michael I’m

calling to ask you about the shipment

the goods are now two weeks overdue oh

sorry we are doing everything possible

in our power to guarantee the delivery

within two days your delay in delivery

has caused problem on both our customer

and us we should appreciate if you could

make the arrangement for the shipment by

June first take it easy we promise you

I’m afraid if you are unavailable to

deliver within this period we shall be

compelled to cancel our order that won’t

happen

you are surely bound to receive it

within two weeks dialogue - hello is

that mr. Wang this is Peter yes speaking

Oh mr. Wang I have to make a complaint

to you for the delay

what’s the matter haven’t you received

the goods oh yes we have received but

five weeks went by before the goods

arrived instead of three weeks and we

lost a wonderful opportunity of sales

how can that be it is true on inquiry we

found that the goods were not shipped

until two weeks after the date of

dispatch oh sorry for the inconvenience

the delay has caused you but this delay

must due to the shipping company as we

have sent the goods to them on time

anyway we have to ask you to make us

allowance corresponding to our loss

please give us some time we must inquire

into the matter all right

but reply to me as soon as possible

please

fifteen claim and settlements

dialogue 1 hello Robert nice seeing you

hi good to see - I’m sure you will come

today I’m here to settle the claim for

last shipment I see we made

investigation and found that the goods

had not been packed as stipulated in the

contract that caused the breakage in

transit I do apologize for that so what

will you deal with this matter

the repacking did take a long time and

cost a lot and we’d like to know how

much the repacking cost you the expenses

amounted to five thousand dollars we

expect compensation for this amount

certainly we will compensate you for any

expenses you may have incurred hope this

unfortunate error will not affect our

future relations I hope so be careful

next time

dialogue - I think the problem can be

solved by friendly consultation without

referring to arbitration quite right

then how much would you like to

compensate for the losses we are going

to compensate a part of the losses can

you name the reasons as we have stated

in the contract should any loss or

damage occur party a shall lodge claims

against the insurer and pay a part of

the indemnification received from the

insurer to party B which shall be in

proportion to the payment party a has

not made for the part of machinery

involved in the loss or damage that

sounds ok one of my people will go to

your company tomorrow to talk about what

replacements are needed and the money

for your future losses we apologize for

the trouble caused to you and will take

steps to avoid such a mistake again in

the future I hope so I hope you’ll

seriously consider our claim

trade show

one extending invitations

dialogue 1 hello is this the Pacific

mechanical company yes may I know who’s

calling it’s Lily

from the organizing committee of the

annual international high-tech industry

exposition 2009 glad to hear from you

can I be of any help to you I’m calling

to invite you to visit our annual

international high-tech industry

exposition this is an excellent

opportunity to show your company to the

world who else may I know will you

invite we are going to invite a crop of

scitech specialists with high academic

achievements and lots of international

exhibitors oh I see will you invite

Madison industries yes

do you need me to send you the expo

information ok

our email address is P MC at 1 6 3

dot-com got it please take a peek at

your mailbox in 5 minutes

dialog - your computers have a high

level of quality now and your prices are

good so why not I think it will really

be worthwhile what you said is right we

must demonstrate it so you accept the

invitation is that right yes we will

attend the expo you seem excited about

it well you know computer originates

from America

so maybe the thought of going back there

to promote our brand is kind of exciting

to me wish you a good result thank you

for inviting us

to applying to the fair

dialogue 1

may I know the purpose of holding such

an exhibition the purpose of this

exhibition is promote the development of

industrial sectors strengthen industrial

communication and cooperation and

prosper industrial economy nice theme

when and where will the exhibition be

held it’s in Beijing on August the 5th

and 6th when is the deadline for

registration the deadline is Friday

however we can make exceptions for

overseas companies what about the

accommodation will help you reserve the

hotels and arrange cars to pick you up

at the airport do we need to pay the

deposit yes you need to prepay for the

rent

50% dialogue - we have an idea of

joining the exposition you are welcome

to participate in the exposition what

shall we do with the registration form

and registration fee you need to fill

out the application form and agreement

with official stamp and submit it to the

organising committee

the address is room 1 2 1 2 wait on

building Yonghwa Road 1:05 Chao yo

district Beijing can I transfer money by

bank of course our account number of

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

is six to two two zero two three six

zero two zero one eight three zero three

eight three four is it necessary for us

to provide you other documents please

provide samples and photographic

materials in English and Chinese

three decorating the booth dialogue one

today we need to make the display of the

exhibition let’s make a unique display

yes a unique display so where shall we

start the work well I think we should

start from measuring the floor for a new

carpet and the walls for new wallpaper

the color of the floor and the wall must

match our products how do you like green

good idea I was thinking the same thing

myself what about the tables they are

all the same color in the hall we can

spread the tables with some colorful

clothes just like the flowers in the

forests I’m sure it will look decorative

dialog - what can we do with the door

just put some posts on it all right with

you you do what you like

it makes no odds to me okay do it then

after that you need to put the logo of

our company on the wall ok but just tell

where you’d like I’ve no idea ask Helen

for some advice but remember we should

put the logo at the very obvious place I

will oh I almost forget the posts also

should be pasted up on the walls in the

surrounding hallways don’t worry I will

make them on

for registration

dialogue 1 welcome to the exhibition as

the registration begun yes would you

like to check in yeah can you tell me

the registration process you should show

your ID card the invitation letter and

the receipt to the exhibition registry

they will give you a guest card then you

need to get the meal vouchers okay could

you tell me how to get there you can go

to the room 2 1 1 and there will be

someone to help you to finish the

registration thank you dialog - hello

I’d like to sign the register

good morning would you show me your

documents here they are well excuse me

for a moment

all seemed right here is your ticket to

the hall your booth is in number 3 Hall

is it far from here it’s so spacious

here here is the floor plan of the

exhibition hall oh good I think it must

be a good helper if you need any help

please let me know

five applying for other services

dialogue 1 good morning sir

can I help you I wonder if you can

arrange an interpreter for us you know

we cannot speak Chinese very well yes we

can

there are many English major students

who can translate for you that is great

how much do they charge each day it is

$15 an hour for a minimum of four hours

I see well I need a three day service

that will be twelve hours altogether

would you like a girl or a boy a girl

please I think girls will be more

considerate okay I will arrange one for

you at once dialogue - good afternoon

mr. Houston good afternoon I’d like to

arrange a meeting for some business do

you have a conference room we could use

certainly sir we have a conference room

for ten people at $150 an hour or a

larger room for 20 people for $250 an

hour I’d prefer the smaller room can I

book it for tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.

yes that would be fine

could you tell me where it is let me

take you there thanks a lot you were so

kind

six welcoming the clients

dialogue 1 welcome to the China export

commodities fair how do I address you

nice to meet you

I’m Tom Bailey the business

representative of ABC company nice to

meet you too mr. Bailey is this your

first visit to the fair yes this is my

first visit I’ve heard that it is famous

all around the world yes you have come

to the right place what would you like

to see I’d like to see the handmade rug

here we’ve got a series of latest ones

do you feel interested ok show me please

see those on the wall behind me those

are the new ones oh they look nice would

you like to have a further negotiation

with our manager oh I’m afraid not at

the moment

I’d better go have a look at the others

I’ll come to you if necessary here is a

catalog and brochure take a look

dialogue - hi mr. Morris nice seeing you

again

oh hello Ralph haven’t run into you for

a long time it really is you’ve changed

so much how was your business it’s just

all right what about yours

it is looking up so I came here how is

the market going for last consignment

very well I’m going to place an order

again glad to hear that I wish a brisk

business for you all and a continued

development in our business dealings the

same to you oh I have to go and have a

brief look excuse me for a moment take

it easy

see you soon

seven establishing contacts

dialogue 1 good afternoon sir may I know

what company you are from I’m Matt Brown

from the import manager of Atlantic

Industries Ltd Sydney Australia

good afternoon mr. brown my name is

Juliet Anderson manager of the sales

department nice to see you miss Anderson

do you find anything interesting I’m

just arriving here I haven’t seen as

much as I could would you mind leaving

your business card here no I’d be glad

to here is my card

thank you and here is mine please call

me anytime if anything I can do for you

dialog - oh by the way I would like you

to know my friend Ming Ming this is my

buddy Tim nice to meet you I’m Wang Ming

me too I’m Tim Alexander just call me

Tim well Tim’s company is doing business

with importing toys maybe you can seize

the opening of course thank you so much

John and I think we should have a

further talk sometime later do you think

so Tim good idea it suits me then let’s

make it tomorrow morning

say 10:00 okay I will come to the booth

to meet you

eight introducing the business

dialogue 1 what kinds of treat are you

generally in we are engaged in export

what countries do you trade with we

mainly trade with Japanese and South

Korean firms what’s your business scope

our business scope includes clothes

stationaries toys household electric

appliances and medical devices dialogue

2 what kinds of products do you mainly

handle we mostly handle office furniture

could you say something about the

product category it includes sofa filing

cabinet executive desk computer table

and office chair what about the quality

and price we supply first-class

furniture the material is superior and

with all the latest styles the prices

are competitive against the similar

products can you give me some idea about

what you’re looking for

oh I’m just looking around

9 showing samples

dialogue 1 could you please let me have

it look okay here is the model good it’s

indeed of attractive due to the limited

space we cannot demonstrate all the

models these are some samples of the

products well these are enough really

did you find anything interesting oh yes

we are especially interested in these

three models we are glad to hear that

dialogue - I would like to see the

samples first okay here it is these are

our new models oh it looks really

attractive what are their strong points

there’s a lot to be said for them

firstly they are more durable than any

similar ones in the market why does it

take longer to wear out than others the

yarn is carefully selected for quality

and woven very tightly in this fabric oh

I see

may we hear your comments on our

products we find the quality of your

samples well up to standard and suitable

for our requirements

ten presenting related materials

dialogue 1 what items are you

particularly interested in women’s

dresses we are looking for something

fashionable and suitable for Australian

women oh we just got some new dresses

would you like a brochure yes please

that will be good this is the brochure

of our latest products here you are oh

thank you I surely will have a close

study of it our phone numbers and email

address are on the booklet I gave you

will be glad to hear from you ok I hope

so dialogue - well here we offer you

with a catalogue of the newest products

for reference oh thank you and here is

the price list please take a look at it

oh thank you so much would you like

something else Oh better not I’m full

with my hands oh I will fetch you a bag

we have some bags free of charge

thank you for trouble

11 moving out

dialogue 1 the show is coming to the end

we better start moving out at 2:00 in

the afternoon it’s finally over

I have yearned for home so we’ve got

lots of things to do now could you go to

the hotel and check out with pleasure

but what should we do with the display

items we can sell some of the display

items for the others we can find a

transportation company to ship them back

to our country I’ll follow your advice

the organizers of the exhibition have

already appointed a few transportation

companies here are their telephone

numbers ok I will call them in a moment

dialogue - hi miss Wong hi mr. Kennedy

nice seeing you anything I can do for

you no I’ve just come to say thank you

for your help

during the show it’s my pleasure I

appreciated your work methods if there

is anything else I can do for you please

don’t hesitate to let me know deal I’m

looking forward to cooperate with you

next time

me too by the way is everything ready

for going home yes everything is ready

we’ll move out in the afternoon then

have a nice trip

twelve contacting after the show

dialogue 1

is this mr. Jones yes that’s right who’s

calling I’m just calling to introduce

myself my name is Tong the buyer on PC

program of high-tech company I’m glad to

hear from you mr. Tong we’ve met at the

exhibition right yes we’re very

interested in the product you exhibited

at the international exhibition I would

be happy to learn more about export

business terms the price varies somewhat

according to the size of your order

would you tell us the quantity you want

so that we can work out an offer well I

will send you a list of my requirements

for which I’d like to have your lowest

quotations CIF Vancouver dialog - hello

is there Susan speaking yes who is that

genuine Oh

nice to hear from you well Susan I’m

calling to know if you have any interest

in our samples yes we are very

interested in the Cotton Chun Psalms

especially the ones with the traditional

Chinese patterns and characters glad to

hear that so is it possible for us to do

business we are just thinking about this

great hope we can get your order soon

you