Buyer Guide · China Supplier RFQ
How to send an RFQ to Chinese suppliers and get quotations you can actually compare.
A useful RFQ does more than ask for a price. It defines the product and commercial assumptions each supplier should quote against, then asks suppliers to return the same decision fields so differences stay visible.
Why RFQs go wrong
“How much for 1,000 units?” can produce several prices for several different assumptions.
One supplier may assume standard packaging, another custom packaging. One may quote EXW, another FOB. Materials, finish, tolerances, tooling, sample terms, and lead time may also differ.
If those assumptions remain hidden, a spreadsheet can look comparable even when the underlying offers are not.
What to include in a supplier RFQ
You do not need every field for every product. Include the information that materially changes the product, price, timing, sample, or buyer decision.
✓ Product name, model, drawing, photo, link, or specification
✓ Material, dimensions, tolerances, finish, colour, or configuration where relevant
✓ Expected order quantity and any volume tiers you want quoted
✓ Destination market and requested quotation basis or Incoterm where known
✓ Packaging, labeling, customization, tooling, or documentation requirements
✓ Requested sample terms, sample cost, and sample lead time
✓ Production lead time after order confirmation
✓ Payment terms and quotation validity
✓ Required answers about certifications, testing, manufacturing scope, or export experience
✓ A clear response format so several supplier quotations can be compared on the same fields
Response format
Ask every shortlisted supplier to answer the same commercial fields.
A standard response format reduces the amount of manual interpretation after quotations arrive. It also makes missing answers obvious instead of silently treating blank fields as equivalent.
✓ Unit price and what it includes
✓ MOQ and price breaks
✓ Tooling or setup charges
✓ Sample fee and timing
✓ Production lead time
✓ Packaging basis
✓ Incoterm / freight boundary
✓ Payment terms
✓ Quote validity
✓ Unanswered questions and supplier assumptions
Supplier follow-up
The first quotation is often not the final comparable answer.
Suppliers may omit MOQ, packaging assumptions, tooling, sample timing, validity, or an answer to a technical question. Keep a visible list of missing information and follow up before choosing only on unit price.
Evidence boundary
A quotation records what the supplier offers; it does not prove supplier performance.
Price, lead time, capacity, certification, and manufacturing claims in an RFQ response are supplier-provided information unless independently supported. Deeper verification should be scoped when a claim is material to the decision.
When to outsource quotation collection
If several Chinese factories need to be contacted and chased, the RFQ itself becomes a coordination job.
Sephalis can help overseas buyers define the supplier brief, contact agreed supplier candidates, collect quotation information, organize missing answers, and put the responses onto one buyer-side comparison frame.
Before sending the RFQ
If you do not yet have supplier candidates, start with the supplier search.
An RFQ is most useful after there is a smaller candidate set worth contacting. If you still need to identify manufacturers or suppliers, begin with a structured buyer brief and supplier research.
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