外 贸 英 语 函 电
Business English Correspondence
Chapter Six
Conclusion of Business
Contents of Chapter 6
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Section One Introduction
Section Two Useful Words & Expressions
Section Three Specimen Letters
1. Acceptance
and Confirmation
An acceptance is a fact that the buyers or sellers
agree completely to all the terms and conditions in
an offer ( or a counter offer as a new offer ). If the
offer is a firm-offer, a deal is concluded after
acceptance. If the offer is a non-firm-offer, a deal is
not concluded until the acceptance is confirmed by
the buyers or sellers.
In a letter for acceptance or confirmation, all the
necessary terms and conditions may need a further
confirmation or check from both sides.
2. The main contents of an
acceptance/confirmation letter
(1)Thank the senders for their offers, counter-offers or
acceptance.
(2)Declare that you accept the offer or confirm the
acceptance from the senders. State that you would
like to conclude business with the senders according
to the terms and conditions agreed upon (listing all
the terms and conditions agreed upon in detail).
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3)State that you have enclosed an Order Form /
Contract / Sales Confirmation, asking for the
returning of one copy duly signed for your file. (It
may be not necessary however if a signed copy is
not needed)
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4)Express your hope that the transaction would be
conducted smoothly and successfully, and that
business would be expanded in the future.
2. Contract
After a firm offer is accepted or an acceptance is
confirmed, a Contract or a Sales Confirmation should
be made out, generally by the sellers, and signed by
both parties. A Sales Contract or a Sales Confirmation
(S/C) will go into effect immediately upon signature.
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A Contract or a Sales Confirmation must contain all
the particulars agreed upon during the course of
negotiation, but the Contract contains also such
conventional clauses as inspection and claims,
arbitration and force majeure, etc. In case of dispute,
this is the only authentic document on which
judgment is based. In a letter sending or making
mention of a contract, the following contents should
be included.
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confirming the business agreement.
stating that you have enclosed an order form /
contract / sales confirmation.
requesting the return of one copy duly signed for
your file.
expressing your expectation of the countersignature, promise or hope that the contract would
be fulfilled smoothly and successfully, and that the
mutual business would be expanded in the future.
Section One Introduction（P92-93）
Notes
mutual negotiations
enter into a contract
conclude the deal
placing order
Sales Confirmation
force majeure
discrepancy
performance
双方交易磋商
签合同
完成交易，达成交易
下订单
销售确认书
不可抗力
争议，分歧
履行，执行
Steps / Contents
Typical Expressions
For letters concerning orders
1. Expressing
your thanks for
order, offer,
counter-offer or
acceptance.
We thank you for giving us a trial order/ offer/
counter-offer/ acceptance. (感谢你方的试订单/报
盘/还盘/接受。)
2. Declaring
clearly that you
accept the offer,
counter-offer or
confirm the
acceptance
We are pleased to accept the following order as
per your fax of …and ours of…. (根据你方……时
候和我方……时候的传真，我们很高兴接受以下订
单。)
See also previous units for all kinds of similar
expressions .
We confirm having purchased from you …on the
following terms and condition. (我们确认已按下列
条件向你方购买……。)
We are pleased to accept your offer and confirm
this order with the following particulars: …(我们很
高兴接受你们的报盘并对订单确认如下：……)
Steps / Contents
Typical Expressions
We confirm that delivery will be made by …as
requested.
(我们确认会按要求在……之前履行交货。)
We have decided to accept your quotation
of….（我们已经决定按……条件接受你方报
盘。）
3. Stating that you
have enclosed an
order form, a contract,
or a Sales
Confirmation. Or
asking the receiver to
prepare them. (It is
not necessary the
case, however).
We have accepted your Order No. … for …
and are sending you our Sales Confirmation
No… (我们已经接受你方第……号订购……的
订单，并随函附上我方第……号销售确认书。)
We confirm supply of …at the price stated in
your letter. Enclosed please find our Sales
Contract No.… in duplicate. (我们确认将按你
方信中所提的价格提供……。随函附上我方
第……号销售合同一式两份，请查收。)
Steps / Contents
Typical Expressions
Please prepare the sales contract in both English
and Chinese versions. (请准备中英两种文字版本
的销售合同。)
Will you please email the contract to us within the
next week. (能否请你们在下周把合同通过电邮的
形式发给我们。)
4. Expressing your
expectation and hope.
We sincerely hope that... (我们诚恳地希望……)
We are pleased to have finalized this business
with you and expect that ...(我们很高兴这次能与
贵公司达成交易，期待着…)
We trust that this initial order will lead to...(我们相
信这次试订将会带来…)
We appreciate your co-operation and look
forward to….(谢谢你方的合作，并期待……)
See also previous units for all kinds of similar
expressions
Specimen Letter 1
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Dear Sirs,
We refer to your fax of February 12 and are
pleased to confirm having sold to you 50 long
tons of Gum Rosin on the terms and
conditions agreed upon.
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We enclose our Sales Confirmation
No.CF123 in duplicate, a copy of which
please countersign and return to us for our
file.
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Yours sincerely,
Encl.:As stated
Section Two Specimen Letters
Specimen 1 P93
Comments
This is the seller’s simple confirmation. It shows
that we have made a non-firm offer, which has
been accepted by the buyers in their telex of
February 12 and now we confirm the sale and
send the sales confirmation for the buyer’s
counter-signature.
Notes
Gum Rosin
松香
in duplicate
一式两份
Specimen Letter 2
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Dear Sirs,
We thank you for your letter of September 6
confirming your order 40long tons Talc in
lumps.
Price:$1100 per long ton, IF Liverpool.
Packing: in single gunny bag of about
50kgs.net each
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Although the current market price is a little bit
higher, we accept the order on the same terms as
before with a view to encouraging business.
As requested in your previous letter, we enclose
our Sales Confirmation No.231 in quadruplicate.
Please send back one copy duly signed.
Please rest assured that your order will receive our
careful attention.
Yours faithfully,
Encl. as stated
Specimen 2
P94
Comments
This is the seller’s acceptance of the buyer’s order
with the latter confirming what they have agreed
upon. Note the second and last paragraph,
which are suitably worded to promote business.
Notes
1 Talc in lumps
滑石块
2 in quadruplicate
一式四份
Specimen Letter 3
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Dear Sirs,
We refer to our letter of 23 ult. And your fax
6th inst., we have pleasure in confirming the
following order:
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Commodity: Mou Tai Chiew
Alcohol Content:45%~60%
Capacity: 500 grams per bottle
Quantity: 100 dozen
Price: $2800 per doz. CIF Antwerp
Packing: In cases of 24 bottles
Shipment: October, 2010
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The relative letter of credit will be airmailed
soon and you are require to ship the above
lot by the first available steamer upon receipt
of our L/C.
Thank you in advance for your prompt
attention, we remain.
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Yours faithfully,
Specimen 3 P94
Comments
This is an old-fashioned letter, the style is too old for
today. The sentence “you are required to do ...” is
not polite. “Thank you for your prompt attention, we
remain” is no longer used now.
Notes
1 ult
上月
2 inst
本月
3 Mou Tai Chiew 茅台酒
Specimen Letter 4
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Dear Sirs,
We are pleased in sending you the
attached Order Confirmation No.350 covering
our recent purchase from you of 1500 pieces
of Mulehides.
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We are going to buy this parcel for our own account,
so as to distribute the hides among several
prospective buyers. They are accustomed to buying
hides from the Argentine, but we think we shall be
able to persuade them to try your material/ If the
quality represented by your initial consignment turns
out to be satisfactory we can assure you of repeat
orders.
Yours faithfully,
Encl. as stated.
Specimen 4
P93
Comments
The buyer is trying to get the best quality by
convincing the seller that it is to his advantage to
supply it, It illustrates the way to convince your
reader with what he can see from his standpoint.
Notes
1 Mulehides
骡皮
2 initial consignment
首批来货
Specimen Letter 5
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Dear Sirs,
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We are pleased to have made with you an
order for 200 metric tons of groundnut oil.
Enclosed please find our order sheet and the
relative credit will be telexed to you within the
next few days.

Our buyers have agreed to allow partial
shipments for this order, which will enable
you to make shipment within the three
months from April to June. If you could
spread out shipment by forwarding a
proportionate quantity each month instead of
making the whole lot of 200 metric tons be
congested into the same month, it would be
of much assistance to our customers
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it might interest you to know that the buyers
concerned are among the leading importers
of edible oils in this city. It is very likely that
they might want to duplicate their order
before the month is out.
Thank you for your cooperation. We hope
we have more businesses in the future.
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Yours faithfully
Specimen 5
P96
Comments
This letter is selected because it demonstrates the British concept of
a good business letter, i.e. the use of formal language with its
preciseness, propriety, courtesy and restraint
Notes
1 Groundnut Oil
花生油
2 forward
交货
3 a proportionate quantity
按一定比例
4 edible oil
食用油.
Letter 6
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Dear Sirs,
We refer to the recent exchange of faxes
between us and are pleased to confirm
having concluded with you a transaction of 80
metric tons of Groundnut Kernels.

Enclosed is our Sales contract No.9181 in
duplicate in which please countersign and
return one copy to us for our file. We trust
you will open the relative L/C at an early date.
As regards additional quantities we are
working, we will let you have an offer
sometime next week.
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Yours faithfully
Specimen 6 P97
Comments
This letter is to confirm the transaction between
the two parties, short and clear.
Notes
1 groundnut kernels 花生仁
2 Enclosed
随函附寄
3 countersign
会签
Letter 7
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Dear Sirs,
We hereby confirm having sold to you the
goods under mentioned, subject to the terms
stated below:
Quantity：3000tons
Description: Canned oat of our usual
standard, America
Weight: net delivered
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Tare ：Actual
Shipment: prompt shipment, sailing direct to
port of destination, transshipment not allowed
Insurance: Marine insurance to be covered
by us
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Conditions: we agree to settlement of disputes by
Chinese arbitration. No claim can be entertained
unless made within 10 days of arrival of goods at
the port of destination.
Remarks: Kindly sign and return one copy, each of
the original and duplicate here of evidence of your
acceptance.
Encl: as stated.
Yours faithfully
Specimen 7
P97
Comments
In confirmation letters, we can repeat the sales
terms again in order to avoid unnecessary
trouble.
Notes
1 Canned Oat
罐装燕麦
2 marine insurance 海运保险
3 tare
皮重
Letter 8
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Dear Sirs,
We acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 18th June，for which we thank you.
Since then a number of telex have been
exchange resulting in our purchase from you
of the following :
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500pcs of cowhides $50per pc CIF London
These 5000pcs CIF OF Cowhide are to be
packed in two lots, 2000and 3000 and
shipped on separate Bill of lading as they are
intended for two different customers
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Please mark the bales with the lot number as
given in the enclosed Order Sheet. It is
necessary to take good note of this lest the
parcel should be mixed up on lading.
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Yours faithfully
Specimen 8
P98
Comments
The first sentence is old-fashioned and could be replaced
by “Many thanks for the letter of 18th June.”The final
sentence is, however, too literary and might be revised to
read: so that the parcel may not be mixed up on landing.
Generally speaking, in the business letter writing, “lest” is
not used, instead “in order that…not…” is OK.
Notes
in two lots
Bills of Lading
分两批
提单