The cinnamon trade has no shortage of informal traders willing to quote a low price with none of the paperwork, testing, or reliability to back it up. These ten questions separate a professional export house from a risky one — ask them before you place a deposit.

1. Can you provide a Certificate of Analysis for every lot, not just a general spec sheet?
   A Certificate of Analysis for each lot is the baseline for any serious exporter; ask which tests it covers and which are arranged per order.
2. What certifications do you hold?
   Look for ISO 22000, HACCP, GMP, and — for cinnamon — Geographical Indication compliance.
3. What's your minimum order quantity and typical lead time?
   Clear, upfront MOQ and lead-time figures indicate a business that plans production rather than reacting to whatever comes in.
4. Can you send a pre-shipment sample matching the exact grade I'll receive in bulk?
   A supplier unwilling to sample, or who sends an unrepresentative sample, is a red flag.
5. What documentation ships with every order?
   COA, Phytosanitary Certificate, Fumigation Certificate, Certificate of Origin, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, and BL/AWB should be standard, not an upsell.
6. How do you vet the suppliers in your network?
   Look for a documented certification process (HACCP, GMP, ISO and FDA registration) rather than informal, unverified relationships.
7. What Incoterms and ports do you support?
   You want a supplier who can quote cleanly under FOB or FCA, with CIF, CFR or DDP on request, so you can compare true landed cost.
8. Can you support private label or custom packaging?
   Even if you don't need it today, a supplier who can scale into private label is one built for a long-term relationship.
9. What are your payment terms?
   Reputable exporters are upfront about this — for example, Sight Letter of Credit terms — rather than vague or pressuring you into unusual arrangements.
10. How do you handle a quality dispute after the shipment arrives?
    A clear, written claims process (timeframe, required evidence, resolution) tells you whether they'll stand behind what they sell.

If a supplier hesitates on more than one or two of these, treat that as your answer.