7 Questions to Ask a Chinese Supplier Before Ordering

A quotation is not a relationship. It is a starting point. The questions you ask next decide whether that quotation is usable.

1. What is your MOQ?

Minimum order quantity is not a formality. It tells you whether this supplier is built for your volume — and whether the unit price you were shown even applies to the quantity you can buy.

2. What materials do you use?

If the product can be made with more than one material, you need the one you are actually paying for named. Vague answers here become quality disputes later.

3. Can you provide samples?

Samples are not always free, and they are not always identical to bulk production. Still, a supplier who cannot discuss sampling clearly is asking you to buy unseen.

4. What is your production lead time?

Lead time should include production, not just the day they send a message. Ask what the clock starts from — deposit, confirmed specification, or sample approval.

5. What customisation is available?

Logo, colour, packaging, sizing, labelling. Get the limits in writing. Customisation is often where MOQ, cost and timeline all move at once.

6. What are your payment terms?

Understand what is due, when, and against what. Unusual payment pressure before specification is confirmed is a signal, not a detail.

7. What is your quality control process?

You are listening for a process, not a promise. Who checks, at which stage, and what happens if the goods do not match the agreed specification.

Ask the right questions. Source with confidence.

Related services: Supplier Verification, Quality & Quantity Inspection