Last year, we were contacted by a Johannesburg-based printing material distributor looking for a reliable supplier of matte coated paper.

The buyer’s inquiry stated:

“We are supplying printing materials to publishing houses in Johannesburg and Cape Town. We are interested in 128gsm and 157gsm matte coated paper.”

The client had previously purchased paper from European suppliers but was searching for a more competitive price from Asia.

During negotiations, the client asked about:

• Paper stiffness

• Ink absorption performance

• Surface smoothness

To help the client evaluate the product, we provided:

• Detailed product specifications

• Photos of previous export shipments

• Sample sheets sent via courier

After reviewing the samples, the client confirmed that the paper quality met their requirements.

The order was finalized as follows:

Shipment Details

• Port of loading: Qingdao Port

• Destination port: Durban Port, South Africa

• Container: 20ft container

• Quantity: about 12 tons

Payment terms were agreed as TT 30% deposit and 70% balance before shipment.

Production took about 12 days. The container was loaded and sealed at Qingdao Port with palletized packaging to protect the paper during the long sea voyage.

Transit time from Qingdao to Durban was approximately 27 days.

After receiving the goods, the client confirmed that the matte coated paper performed well for magazine printing and corporate brochures.