China Factory RFQ Checklist: 12 Details Buyers Must Specify

Why a Vague RFQ Produces Bad China Quotes

A supplier cannot price what an RFQ leaves open. 'Please quote your best price for 5,000 units' invites every factory to make a different assumption about material, finish, packing, inspection and delivery. The result is a low first quote followed by tooling charges, quality substitutions and freight surprises. A useful RFQ turns the buying brief into measurable fields so factories quote the same product on the same basis.

1. Define the Product in Measurable Terms

Start with the product name, application and a drawing or marked-up photo. Add dimensions, material grade, thickness, color reference, surface finish, performance target and acceptable tolerances. For stone, state the species, finish, thickness, edge detail and whether the piece is natural or filled. For wire mesh, state wire diameter, aperture, coating type, zinc weight and roll or panel size. For textiles, state fiber composition, GSM, width, color standard and shrinkage tolerance. A reference photo is helpful, but it cannot replace a written specification.

2. Separate Stock, Custom and Tooling Requirements

Tell the factory whether you need a stock item, a logo change, a private label or a completely new mold. Ask for a separate line for tooling, sampling and production. Confirm mold ownership, revision rights, storage period and whether the tooling fee is refundable or amortized into the order. This prevents a factory from hiding a one-time cost inside the unit price and gives you a clean comparison between suppliers.

3. State Quantity by SKU and Your MOQ Plan

List the first order quantity, expected annual volume and the number of colors or sizes. Ask for prices at three quantity breaks, such as trial order, normal container quantity and repeat volume. Confirm MOQ per SKU, mixed-SKU rules and whether a small first order carries a surcharge. A factory's best price often assumes one color, one specification and a full production run; your RFQ should show the real mix.

4. Request a Comparable Quotation

Ask every supplier to quote in the same currency and show unit price, tooling, sample, packing, inspection, inland delivery and export documentation as separate lines. Specify whether the price is EXW, FCA, FOB Tianjin, CIF or DAP, and name the destination port for any delivered option. FOB Tianjin is useful for many Hebei clusters because it keeps the factory price separate from the ocean freight that changes by destination and sailing date. Ask for quote validity and the assumptions behind the price.

5. Put Quality Control into the RFQ

State the inspection stage and acceptance standard before the factory quotes. A workable plan may include a pre-production sample, first-article approval, in-process photos, pre-shipment inspection and a packing check. Define the critical dimensions, cosmetic defects, color tolerance, quantity tolerance and test reports required. For regulated or food-contact products, request the exact product's test report from an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a generic certificate from another product is not evidence for your order.

6. Make Packing and Shipping Part of the Specification

Describe individual protection, carton dimensions, gross and net weight, pallet rules, moisture protection, carton marks and container loading requirements. Fragile stone and glass need edge protection and drop-resistant packing; galvanized mesh needs a dry packing plan to prevent white rust; textiles need moisture protection and carton compression control. Ask for a packing photo and a draft packing list before shipment. It is cheaper to fix packing on paper than after a damaged container arrives.

7. Confirm Documents, HS Code and Lead Time

Ask the factory to confirm the proposed HS heading, country of origin, commercial invoice, packing list, Bill of Lading and Certificate of Origin requirements. Treat the HS code as a classification proposal and have your customs broker confirm the final destination tariff line, especially for products with anti-dumping duties or origin-specific measures. Request sample lead time, production lead time, inspection window and the latest ship date, with the lead time starting point clearly defined.

The Copy-and-Send RFQ Checklist

• Product name, application, drawing or marked-up photo

• Material, dimensions, finish, color and measurable tolerances

• SKU, quantity, color mix, target annual volume and MOQ

• Stock, logo, private label or new tooling requirement

• Sample price, tooling price, unit price and quantity breaks

• Incoterm, named port, currency, quote validity and payment terms

• QC stages, acceptance standard, test reports and inspection party

• Packing method, carton data, pallet rules and container plan

• HS heading proposal, export documents and country of origin

• Sample date, production lead time and latest ship date

How JJCIE Turns the RFQ into a Factory-Ready Quote

JJCIE routes a complete RFQ to the right Hebei or Tianjin industrial cluster, checks the specification with the factory, compares the quote on a matching Incoterm basis and coordinates samples, inspection and export paperwork. Buyers can source stone, wire mesh, textiles, bags, packaging and other northern China products through one FOB Tianjin workflow instead of sending the same incomplete request to unrelated suppliers.

Send a complete RFQ for a factory-matched quote.