Tradloc
Trade Intelligence
MarketsTrade ToolsRoutesPortsCommoditiesGuides
Data standards

Pricing methodology & data sources

Every Tradloc assessment is published with its grade, HS code, incoterm basis, origin, confidence rating and last-updated date. This page explains exactly how those numbers are built, how often they change, and where their limits are.

How an assessment is produced

1 · Collection

Producer and exporter offer levels, forwarder lane quotations, tariff schedules and observed GCC trade flows are collected per commercial grade.

2 · Normalisation

Every input is normalised to USD per metric tonne on an FOB basis at the producing origin, with packaging and MOQ recorded alongside.

3 · Assessment

A low–high range is set to cover the credible transaction band, and a confidence rating is attached based on input depth and recency.

4 · Cost build-up

Freight, marine insurance, duty, VAT and clearance are layered on to produce CIF and delivered ranges for the selected lane.

5 · Review

Each grade is re-reviewed on its own cadence — daily, weekly or monthly — and stamped with a last-updated date.

6 · Disclosure

Grade, HS code, incoterm basis, origin, confidence and update date are published with every number so the assessment can be audited.

Confidence ratings explained

Confidence
High

Multiple recent, independent inputs converge on the range for this grade and origin. Suitable for budget approval and supplier benchmarking.

Confidence
Medium

The range is supported but inputs are thinner, older, or spread across a wider band. Treat as a negotiation starting point and verify with a quotation.

Confidence
Low

The grade is illiquid or rarely offered into the GCC. Directional only — request a supplier quotation before committing budget.

Frequently asked questions about our data

Where do Tradloc price assessments come from?
Assessments are compiled from producer and exporter offer levels, freight-forwarder quotations for GCC-inbound lanes, published customs tariff schedules, and trade flows observed by Tradloc's Dubai-based trade desk. Each figure is stored against a specific commercial grade rather than a generic commodity name.
What does the confidence rating mean?
High confidence means multiple independent, recent inputs agree on the range for that grade and origin. Medium means the range is supported but inputs are thinner, older or spread across a wider band. Low means the grade is illiquid or rarely offered into the GCC and the range should be treated as directional only.
How often are prices updated?
Each grade carries its own price-update frequency — daily, weekly or monthly — reflecting how often that market genuinely re-prices. The last-updated stamp shown on every report is the date the underlying assessment was last reviewed, not the date you ran the report.
Are these prices tradeable quotations?
No. Tradloc publishes indicative assessment ranges for budgeting, supplier evaluation and negotiation preparation. An executable price depends on specification, volume, packaging, payment terms, laycan and counterparty, and can only come from a supplier or forwarder quotation.
How is freight and landed cost derived?
Ocean freight is derived from lane-level indications for the origin-destination pair and container type, then combined with marine insurance, applicable GCC duty and VAT rates, and destination clearing costs to produce a CIF and delivered range.
Does Tradloc generate prices with AI?
No price is generated by a language model. Search, grade matching and classification use deterministic lookup against the Tradloc database. If a commodity or grade has no verified assessment, the tool states that clearly instead of producing a number.
Put the methodology to work
Every tool below applies the same assessment standard.
Commodity price databaseChemical price intelligenceMetal price intelligencePlastic price intelligenceFreight cost estimatorLanded cost calculatorImport duty & VAT calculatorHS code finderShipping route intelligence