The Complete Buyer Readiness Checklist

Before you try to buy EN590, Jet A1, LNG, or Sugar — what sellers, refineries, and banks really expect.

Hidden buyer question:
“Am I actually ready to buy — or just thinking I am?”

Introduction — Read This Before You Waste 30–90 Days

In global commodity markets, interest is not readiness.

Every week, buyers approach sellers for EN590, Jet A1, LNG, sugar, and other bulk commodities — yet fewer than 1 in 10 ever reach lifting.

Not because of price.
Not because of supply.
But because they are structurally unprepared.

This checklist is not motivational.
It is diagnostic.

If you fail multiple points below, sellers are rejecting you for a reason.

1. Commercial Readiness (Most Buyers Fail Here)

You are NOT ready if:

You are “still comparing structures”
You don’t know if you want CIF, FOB, TTT, or TTV
You are negotiating price before structure

You ARE ready if:

You know your delivery method and destination
You understand title transfer and risk points
You accept market-standard terms

Sellers don’t educate buyers on basics.

They filter them.

2. ICPO Readiness (Your First Real Test)

An ICPO is not a formality.

It is a credibility signal.

Red flags:

Template ICPO copied from brokers
Unbankable payment terms
Impossible inspection demands
Conditional obligations everywhere

Seller reality:

A bad ICPO ends the conversation.

A clean ICPO is short, aligned with banking reality, and executable.

3. Banking Readiness (Where Reality Hits)

Ask yourself honestly:

Has my bank issued MT700 or MT760 before?
Is my bank acceptable to international sellers?
Do I understand what my bank will NOT do?

If your bank hesitates, it is not being slow.

It is protecting itself.

Banks do not support ideas.

They support structured, funded transactions.

4. SWIFT Instrument Readiness

You must know:

When MT799 is appropriate (and when it is useless)
When MT700 is required
When MT760 makes sense

If you believe:

MT799 = proof of funds
Any bank can issue SBLC
SWIFT messages are negotiable documents

Then you are not ready.

5. Product-Specific Readiness

EN590 / Jet A1

Do you understand SGS/Intertek sequencing?
Do you know when title transfers?
Do you accept standard refinery specs?

LNG

Do you understand long-term vs spot logic?
Do you have regasification access?
Do you know capacity booking rules?

Sugar / Soft Commodities

Do you know Incoterms impact on quality risk?
Do you understand weight/quality tolerance?
Do you accept independent inspection?

If the answer is “we’ll figure it out later” — sellers already did.

6. Logistics & Operations Readiness

Sellers assume:

You know who pays demurrage
You know who charters vessels
You know who insures cargo

If you ask these questions after SPA:

You look dangerous.

Operational ignorance is payment risk.

7. Timeline Reality Check

Real deals move like this:

Days — not months — to issue instruments
Clear deadlines, no “we are checking”
Immediate execution after SPA

If you need weeks to decide each step:

You are not a buyer yet.

8. The Seller’s Silent Scorecard

Sellers never share this, but they score you on:

Clarity
Speed
Bank credibility
Structural realism
Past execution signals

Fail enough points — they disappear.

FAQ — Buyer Readiness Reality

Is interest enough to start?
No. Structure matters more than intent.
Can brokers make me ready?
No. Only preparation can.
Why no feedback from sellers?
Because filtering is faster than education.
Do small buyers get accepted?
Yes — if they are prepared.
Is readiness learnable?
Yes — but only before you approach sellers.

Conclusion — Are You Really Ready?

Most buyers think readiness means money.

In reality, readiness means:

Structural clarity
Bank alignment
Operational realism
Discipline

If sellers keep rejecting you, the message is simple:

You are not ready yet.

Fix that — and doors open fast.

In commodities, readiness is not claimed. It is demonstrated.

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