The terms we quote
| Term | SPK Pharma's obligation ends at | Freight & insurance | Risk passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW — Ex Works | Our Mumbai warehouse | Buyer arranges everything | At pickup |
| FOB — Free On Board | On board the vessel or aircraft at the named port | Buyer | On board |
| CIF — Cost, Insurance and Freight | At destination port | SPK pays freight and minimum insurance | On board |
| DAP — Delivered at Place | At your named destination, ready for unloading | SPK pays freight | At the named place |
| DDP — Delivered Duty Paid | At your door, import duty paid | SPK pays freight and duty | At the named place |
We quote on any of these, but we will always ask which one you want rather than defaulting — because the difference between FOB and DDP on a research peptide consignment can be 12–18% of the material value at small volumes, and a quote that mixes bases cannot be compared to anything.
Why freight matters more here than in most trades
Research peptides are dense, light and regulated, and that combination produces an unusually high freight-to-value ratio. Air freight on a small consignment can be 15–25% of the material cost. It is the single largest non-material line in a typical first order.
Three consequences worth planning for:
- Consolidation pays. A mixed order across eight to twelve SKUs in one shipment has a far lower freight-per-vial ratio than eight separate single-SKU shipments. We consolidate by default.
- The incoterm changes the landed cost more than the unit price. Moving from FOB to DDP on a small order can add more than the entire volume discount available.
- Temperature control roughly doubles freight. If your destination requires 2–8 °C, budget 30–50% above ambient freight. Lyophilised material does not strictly require it in transit, but some institutional policies demand it, and it is worth checking whether yours does.
How we usually recommend it
- First qualification order — CIF or DAP. You want visibility of freight and insurance cost, and DDP is rarely worth it on a small first consignment because duty is payable on import by the importer of record in most jurisdictions.
- Recurring volume supply — FOB from Nhava Sheva or Mumbai, with your own freight contract, if you have a forwarder who handles research-grade material.
- Institutional or hospital procurement — DAP, where the buyer's freight account and delivery schedule are fixed and our freight management would be friction.
Named place
Always specify the named place. "FOB" without a port is not a quotation. FOB Nhava Sheva and FOB Chennai are different routes with different freight rates and different transit times, and for some destinations one port has materially better cold-chain handling than the other.
Lead time, dispatch and consolidation
Catalogue SKUs normally dispatch in 2–3 working days. Custom synthesis runs 10–18 working days for a standard sequence. If you are running a multi-SKU programme, tell us the delivery schedule and we will consolidate rather than ship partial orders — a single consolidated shipment with one document pack is usually both cheaper and simpler to clear.
See shipping and logistics for our dispatch process, and export documentation for what ships with the consignment.
Insurance and claims
CIF includes minimum cover, which for a research peptide consignment is rarely adequate against the full invoice value. If your material is high value, take an open cover policy and name us as an insured party. Claims require the original shipping documents and the freight forwarder's report — which is another reason to keep the document pack intact.
B2B trade only — request a quote
All peptides are research-grade, for in-vitro use only, and supplied against a valid drug licence. Tell us your sequence, quantity and destination and the trade desk will respond within one business day.