Three terms decide more about a bulk nut order than almost anything else in the negotiation: minimum order quantity, Incoterm, and lead time. Get any one of them wrong in your planning and you end up with the right product arriving at the wrong cost, the wrong time, or not in the quantity your production schedule assumed.
Minimum order quantity (MOQ) — why it isn't one fixed number
MOQ is often treated as a single fixed figure, but it actually varies by product and packaging type — a bulk 25kg PP bag order has a different practical minimum than a smaller custom-packed run. This is exactly why our FAQ states plainly that MOQ varies by product and packaging, and that the specific figure comes from contacting us directly rather than a published table. A supplier who quotes one MOQ for every product and format either hasn't thought it through or is padding the number to protect margin either way.
For a first-time buyer, the practical move is to ask early: what's the MOQ for the specific grade, format and packaging you want, not "walnut kernels" as a category. That number can be meaningfully different for whole-half Chandler Kernel versus 185 Broken Walnut sold into an industrial mix.
Incoterms — who's responsible for what, and when
Incoterms define exactly where responsibility, cost and risk transfer from seller to buyer during shipment. The three most relevant for Canadian buyers sourcing from Türkiye are:
- FOB (Free On Board) — from our Mersin facility. We handle everything up to loading the goods onto the vessel; you (or your freight forwarder) take on cost and risk from that point, including ocean freight and Canadian-side customs clearance.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) — to Toronto or Vancouver. We arrange and pay for freight and insurance to the named Canadian port; risk still transfers to you once goods are loaded, but you're not separately arranging ocean freight.
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) — the seller's responsibility extends furthest, covering delivery with duties paid. It's less commonly used in bulk food commodity trade but worth knowing as a term if a supplier offers it.
Choosing between FOB and CIF usually comes down to whether you already have an established freight forwarder relationship and prefer to control that leg yourself (FOB), or would rather have shipping arranged for you as part of the quote (CIF). Neither is inherently "better" — they suit different buyers.
Lead time — the number that actually drives your planning
Lead time is the gap between placing an order and product arriving ready for your production line or warehouse, and it has more moving parts than buyers often assume:
- Production time — cracking, sorting, calibration and packing against your specific order, not pulled from a shelf
- Port-to-port transit — the ocean freight leg itself, which for Türkiye-to-Canada routes is measured in weeks, not days
- Customs clearance — covered in more depth in our guide to importing nuts into Canada, and faster when your documentation is in order ahead of arrival
A supplier quoting a lead time that only covers production, without the freight and customs legs, is giving you a number that will surprise you later. Ask for an end-to-end estimate, not a partial one.
How these three terms interact
MOQ, Incoterm and lead time aren't independent — they trade off against each other. A larger order (higher volume, closer to or above a comfortable MOQ) often supports better per-unit pricing and more predictable production scheduling on our end, which can tighten lead time variance. An Incoterm that puts freight arrangement in our hands (CIF) can also simplify your planning even if it doesn't necessarily change the calendar time involved.
The planning implication: don't negotiate these three terms in isolation. A buyer who fixes volume first, then asks about Incoterm and lead time as an afterthought, often ends up with a quote that doesn't actually fit their production calendar.
Building this into your sourcing timeline
Because production is planned against a continuous supply schedule rather than run reactively — see our production process — we can give a realistic lead time once we know your product, format and target Incoterm, rather than a generic range that doesn't reflect your actual order. That's also why we ask for these details on our quote form rather than just "how many kilograms."
Get specific numbers for your order
If you're planning a first order and want real MOQ, Incoterm and lead-time figures rather than industry generalities, request a quote with your target product, volume and preferred Incoterm, and we'll give you numbers you can actually plan a production schedule around.