A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is the single most important document you send to a Chinese supplier. A vague RFQ like “send me your best price on wireless earbuds” produces vague, uncomparable quotes from factories of wildly different capability — and the cheapest one is usually the one that gives you quality problems six months later. A structured RFQ, by contrast, filters out suppliers who cannot meet your specs, makes quotes apples-to-apples, and becomes the technical baseline your purchase contract and inspection plan refer to. Here is the structure experienced sourcing teams use.
The Core RFQ Structure
Organize your RFQ so any competent factory can reply with the same format. We recommend nine sections.
- Company and project background: one paragraph on who you are, your market (US, EU, UK), and expected annual volume. This tells the factory whether you are a serious account.
- Product specification sheet: technical parameters, materials, dimensions, tolerances, weight, colors, performance thresholds. Attach CAD drawings, reference photos, and any samples you can ship.
- Quantity and MOQ: target order quantity, the minimum you will accept, and price tiers at 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 50,000 units.
- Quality requirements: inspection standard (for example AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor), functional test requirements, and required certifications (CE, FCC, RoHS, FDA, REACH).
- Packaging and labeling: retail box dimensions, master carton configuration, barcode format, shipping marks, and required languages.
- Delivery and logistics: target ready date, requested Incoterms (FOB Shenzhen? EXW? DAP your warehouse?), and destination port.
- Payment terms: your requested terms, commonly 30% deposit with 70% against the bill of lading copy.
- Documents required: business license, ISO certificate, test reports, factory audit report, and reference clients.
- Quotation deadline: a specific date and Beijing time, plus the reply format you expect.
Fields Most Buyers Forget
These omissions create cost disputes later. Include them now:
- Tooling and mold costs — who pays, who owns the steel, and how it is amortized across units.
- Sample lead time and sample fee, and whether the sample fee is refundable on bulk orders.
- Price validity — quotes should be fixed for 60–90 days; currency and material prices move.
- Spare-parts ratio and warranty policy for electronics or mechanical products.
- Intellectual property: a non-disclosure agreement and a no-copy/no-resale clause.
- Reply format: ask for a proforma-invoice-style table with unit price, packaging, MOQ, lead time, payment, and validity — all in one line.
How to Use the RFQ to Screen Suppliers
Send the identical RFQ to five to eight suppliers. The quote comparison is not just about price; it is a signal of engineering and communication capability. A supplier that ignores half your fields, quotes without asking clarifying questions, or cannot speak to certification requirements is telling you how it will behave after deposit.
Ask each responder for photos of its production line, a live video walkthrough, and two references of similar export orders. The most complete and precise responders are often mid-sized factories with real export experience, not the cheapest trading company operating from an office.
Common RFQ Mistakes to Avoid
- No tolerances. “Aluminum body” tells the factory nothing; “6061-T6 aluminum, 2 mm wall, ±0.1 mm” tells them exactly what to make.
- Ambiguous Incoterms. “Delivered price” without a named port means you will later argue over inland trucking and origin handling fees.
- No deadline. Without a date, quotes drift forever and suppliers deprioritize you.
- Revealing your target price too early. Let them quote first, then negotiate.
- Ignoring market-specific compliance. A product for the EU needs CE and REACH; for California it may need Prop 65 and FDA food-contact statements.
- Asking for “best price” without volume. Price is a function of quantity; give volume bands.
RFQ Must-Have Checklist
Before you hit send, confirm your RFQ includes: product name and model; detailed spec sheet or CAD; material and finish; quantity and MOQ with tier pricing; quality standard and AQL; required certifications; packaging and labeling; Incoterms and named port; production lead time; payment terms; company qualifications to provide; quotation deadline; and the contact person for follow-up. A complete RFQ usually cuts your supplier shortlist from fifty to three in one round.
Why a Structured RFQ Saves Real Money
The hidden cost of a loose RFQ shows up after deposit. When specifications are vague, the factory chooses the cheapest material that still passes a visual check; when packaging is unspecified, goods arrive in plain cartons that damage in transit; when certification is not requested, you discover at customs that the CE test report is for a different product. Each of these problems costs time, rework, or air-freight premiums that dwarf any price difference between suppliers at quote stage.
A disciplined RFQ process also speeds up negotiation. When every quote uses the same structure, you can compare unit price, tooling fee, sample cost, lead time, and payment terms side by side in ten minutes rather than a week of email back-and-forth. Treat the RFQ as the first round of qualification, not just a price request. Suppliers that respond with precision, ask smart technical questions, and flag compliance issues early are the same suppliers you will want managing your production six months later.