Can the FOB price from a Protective Case Factory in China go lower?

Answer: Only on inland freight and port charges: 4 300 per 40HQ.

Can the order go below a full 40HQ?

Answer: Yes. Under 300 units ships LCL at about 62 per cubic metre.

What happens if inspection fails?

Answer: More than 5 defects in 80 samples rejects the lot; 5 or fewer allows sorting.

When are documents due?

Answer: Count back from the cut-off: three days for a certificate, two for fumigation.

Is a letter of credit required?

Answer: No. A Protective Case Factory in China runs repeats on 30 percent deposit and 70 percent against the B/L copy.

Protective Case Factory in China: Quotes, MOQ and Lead Time

Quick answer: A Protective Case Factory in China can quote one case on EXW, FOB or CIF, and the spread is thin: 4 300 of inland freight, customs and port charges is 6.7 per case across 640 units. MOQ follows load size, and lead time counts back from the sailing cut-off, with a certificate of origin at three days and fumigation at two.

Which Incoterm the Quote Sits On
Inspection Lots and Sampling
Export Documents and Issue Days
Full Boxes and LCL
Payment Terms, FX and Export Packing
FAQ

1. Which Incoterm the Quote Sits On

A Protective Case Factory in China will quote three prices for one case, and the gap is not the product but who pays which leg: EXW at the gate, FOB at the ship's rail, CIF adding freight and insurance.

Inland trucking costs 2 800, customs 300 and port charges 1 200, so 4 300 in total, or 6.7 a case across 640. CIF adds cover at 110 percent of value and 0.35 percent, about 0.15 per 40-dollar case.

Term	Seller covers	Buyer covers	Spread at 640
EXW	Packing, loading	Inland, customs, ocean	Base
FOB	Everything to the port	Ocean freight, insurance	6.7 per case
CIF	Freight, 110 percent cover	Discharge, clearance	9.2 per case

2. Inspection Lots and Sampling

Inspect by production lot, not by purchase order: a Protective Case Factory in China quotes two inspections for one order built in two runs. A 640-unit order gets 80 pieces per lot, since general level II at AQL 2.5 samples 80 from a lot of 501 to 1 200, accepting 5 and rejecting 6.

Protective Case Factory in China: an olive green case facing front, one folding handle with a round lock, two side catches, ribs on the lid

Third-party inspection runs at 2 600 per man-day, report in five working days, placed after packing and before loading. Split the criteria: cosmetics at AQL 2.5, seal and latch at AQL 1.0 with all 80 pressure-tested.

3. Export Documents and Issue Days

Six documents start the set: invoice, packing list, bill of lading, origin certificate, fumigation certificate and customs declaration. Battery or gas-strut versions add an MSDS.

Document	Days	Who	Usual error
Invoice, list	1	Seller	HS code clash
B/L	3 to 5	Forwarder	Consignee differs
Origin certificate	3	Chamber	Origin criterion
Fumigation	2	Treatment plant	No IPPC mark
Declaration	1	Broker	Value 5 percent off

Work backwards from the cut-off. A Wednesday sailing with a three-day certificate and two-day fumigation means papers by Monday; peak weeks add two to three days. State whether the Protective Case Factory in China files the documents, at 300 to 600 per shipment.

Duty hangs on the HS code: rigid plastic cases usually fall under 4202.99 or 3926.90, with import rates commonly 6.5 to 25 percent. One wrong digit means a re-declaration or a port hold.

4. Full Boxes and LCL

A 40HQ measures 12.03 by 2.35 by 2.69 metres, about 76 cubic metres. A case at 0.107 cubic metres allows 710 in theory, but 640 is the working figure at a 90 percent load factor; a 20GP takes 300.

Protective Case Factory in China: a dark grey case angled, four ribs on the lid, two front latches and a round valve at left

Under a full 40HQ, LCL prices at about 62 per cubic metre, minimum one cubic metre, plus devanning. Below 300 units LCL wins; past 600 the full box does, since 4 300 of fixed charges beats 4 200 for 68 cubic metres.

5. Payment Terms, FX and Export Packing

Thirty percent by T/T with 70 percent against a bill of lading copy is standard: the seller collects on the copy, the buyer cannot get the original before paying. A sight credit costs 0.15 percent per quarter and 45 per discrepancy.

Method	Cost to seller	Main risk	Fits
30/70 against B/L copy	Low	Balance withheld	Repeat buyers
Sight letter of credit	0.15 percent per quarter	Discrepancies	First orders

Fix the rate: quote against 7.10 and hold the price within 1.5 percent either way. A two percent appreciation eats a third of the margin on a 40-dollar case.

Packing decides what arrives. Plywood crates at 9 mm need no fumigation, while solid wood pallets must carry IPPC treatment. Moisture takes two layers: 50 g of desiccant per case and a 1 kg strip per corner, since a 30-day voyage condenses on bare walls. A Protective Case Factory in China often leaves this out of the quote.

Conclusion

Cross-border buying turns on four boundaries: the Incoterm, the sampling rule, the document clock and the packing detail. Name the FOB port, fix the AQL and sample size, and write moisture control into the packing clause. A buyer who does that is the one a Protective Case Factory in China schedules first.

This article discusses only the container (case body) side of specifications and design intent, and does not cover any handling, loading or use of the contents.