China Sourcing RFQ Template: What to Send Before Asking for a Price

This China sourcing RFQ template is for importers, wholesalers, brands and procurement teams preparing an inquiry. It provides general fields for a goods purchase; adapt the specification and evidence to the actual product, manufacturing origin, destination and intended use.

1. Define the Product and Specification Revision

Start with a product that a supplier can identify and discuss. Give the product name or SKU, intended use, construction and measurable requirements. Replace subjective instructions such as “premium quality” with the material, dimension, finish, performance or acceptance condition you actually need. If a value is undecided, ask for options rather than letting an unstated substitution become the quotation basis.

• Materials and construction: composition or grade where relevant, components, assembly and permitted alternatives.
• Dimensions: measurements, units, tolerances and the method or reference needed to interpret them.
• Appearance: colour reference, surface finish, print or artwork revision and visible workmanship requirements.
• Function and acceptance: intended performance, how it will be checked and who will confirm unresolved criteria.

Give each file a job and a revision

List the drawings, specification sheet, bill of materials (BOM), artwork and reference samples in the RFQ. Identify each by filename or document ID, revision and date. State what a physical sample controls: colour, shape, construction or another named feature. A catalogue photograph may explain appearance while leaving material, scale and tolerances unresolved.

If the sample, drawing and written specification disagree, ask the buyer’s authorised technical contact to resolve the conflict and issue a consistent pack. Have every supplier acknowledge the same pack. Keep an earlier reply attached to its original revision; request an updated quote when the requirement changes.

2. State Quantity, Target Price and Currency

Give the total quantity and its allocation by SKU, style, size, colour or design as applicable. Define the unit: a pair, set, piece and kilogram are different quotation bases. For a set, list its contents. Separate the quantity you intend to order now from possible later replenishment.

Ask suppliers to state the minimum order quantity (MOQ) against that same breakdown. A total quantity alone does not explain whether a minimum applies to the material, style, colour, design or production batch. Avoid inserting a generic MOQ that has not been quoted for this product.

Set a Budget in Your China Sourcing RFQ Template

Write the target as an amount, currency and unit, linked to the requested quantity and scope. Explain whether you mean the goods price at a specified delivery point or a wider budget that includes other costs. List packaging, tooling, testing or transport separately where their inclusion is undecided.

If you do not have a defensible target, enter UNKNOWN — please quote the stated specification and itemise separate charges. You can invite a clearly labelled alternative, but require the supplier to identify its specification changes. Do not allow a lower-cost option to replace the requested product silently.

3. Identify the Destination and Testing Requirements

Name the destination country and intended sales channel or use. Include the intended user and age group where relevant, plus a destination port or delivery area for the requested logistics scope. Record manufacturing origin separately: buying through China does not, by itself, establish where the goods originate.

Use the RFQ to identify what is already confirmed and what needs specialist review. For testing, record the product or model covered, requirement or method if verified, acceptance criteria, evidence requested and the person responsible for checking applicability. Do not turn a list of familiar certificate names into a universal requirement for every product.

• Existing evidence: identify the issuer, report number, date, model or material, method and stated scope. Mark supplier-provided documents as such until appropriately checked.
• New work: identify who will confirm the scope, arrange the work, approve the cost and review the result.
• Labels and artwork: record text, languages, barcode data, file revision and approval owner. Distinguish final artwork from provisional copy.

A supplier’s written statement is useful for clarification; it does not automatically establish that the quoted product satisfies the applicable requirements. Sampling inspection is not full-unit inspection, and visual inspection does not replace relevant laboratory testing or certification. Where requirements remain uncertain, obtain review from the responsible importer and an appropriate laboratory, certification body or qualified adviser before treating them as resolved.

4. Specify Packaging Before Requesting a Price

Describe the packaging at each level: the individual product, inner pack and shipping carton. Include units per pack and per carton, required protection, barcode placement, carton marks and any size or weight constraints that the receiving operation has actually specified. Attach the relevant packing instruction or drawing revision.

For custom packaging, identify material, dimensions, print colours, inserts and artwork status as far as known. Ask the supplier to identify its proposed packing assumptions and the associated price. If you have not defined retail packaging, request it as a separate option rather than leaving “standard packing” unexplained.

Record whether the quotation includes packaging development, proofs or samples, and whether any packing-related testing has been requested. Keep provisional carton dimensions separate from confirmed logistics data. Packaging changes should be reviewed for their effect on the product price, timing and transport quote.

5. Define the Trade Term and Quotation Basis

Ask for the preferred Incoterms® rule, exact named place or port and version. A usable entry is FCA [precise named handover point], Incoterms® 2020 when that rule fits the transaction; this is a format example, not a recommendation for every shipment. If undecided, ask for clearly separated options and the assumptions behind each.

ICC’s Incoterms® 2020 guidance explains the allocation of costs, risks and obligations. Its explanation of Incoterms and commercial contracts also makes clear that product specifications, payment arrangements and ownership are separate contractual matters. Do not expect a three-letter term to settle those details.

Ask for an itemised reply covering the goods, packaging, samples, tooling or artwork, testing, inspection and any transport or handling included in the offer. Require exclusions to be stated. Define payment proposals separately, and request quotation validity and timing assumptions. Ask whether a sample fee can be credited, and on what conditions; do not assume a refund, free sample or future credit.

For a requested delivery date, identify the milestone: sample ready, goods ready, handover or arrival. Have the supplier state what starts its proposed lead time and which approvals it depends on. This inquiry does not establish a confirmed delivery date or a landed-cost calculation.

6. Copy and Complete the China Sourcing RFQ Template

Copy the table into a working document and replace the bracketed prompts. Use one controlled RFQ pack for all candidates. For each reference, record a file or sample ID, revision and date; add an issuer or approver where relevant. You do not need an approved production sample or a completed test report merely to start an exploratory inquiry. Mark later-stage work as pending.

Use UNKNOWN for an unanswered question. Use N/A only with a reason. For status, choose Ready, Assumption agreed, Missing or Conflict. Identify evidence as buyer-approved, supplier-stated or unverified; these labels describe the input, not a supplier rating.

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to read every column.

A useful evidence entry points to a specific item, such as a dated drawing revision or a written clarification, rather than saying “see email”. Link the final decision to the person authorised to approve it. When a field changes, update the RFQ revision and identify which suppliers need to re-quote.

7. Tell Suppliers What to Confirm in Writing

Include a response instruction with the RFQ so that a price does not arrive without its basis. Ask the supplier to reply against the listed revision and identify anything it cannot quote as requested. A short confirmation can refer to the attachment register; exceptions should be explicit.

1. Confirm the product and files: identify the specification revision, sample reference and any proposed alternatives.
2. Confirm the quantity and price: give the unit, quantity breakdown, MOQ basis, currency, price breaks if offered, and quotation validity.
3. Identify included and separate costs: state packaging, samples, tooling, testing, inspection, handling and delivery inclusions or exclusions as applicable.
4. State timing and payment proposals: identify milestones, starting conditions and dependencies; distinguish estimates from commitments.
5. List assumptions and deviations: name the affected requirement, proposed change and any cost or timing effect. Request buyer approval before adopting a substitute.

Keep the written quotation, its attachments and later clarifications together. If a reply simply says “same as sample”, ask which sample and which measurable requirements it covers. These checks prepare the inputs for quotation comparison; they do not replace supplier verification, a full comparison worksheet or purchase-order approval.

8. Resolve Missing Inputs Before Comparing Quotes

Review gaps according to their effect on the decision. An initial discussion can proceed with unresolved details, but the uncertainty should remain visible. Use the following suggested actions to avoid promoting an exploratory price into an approved purchasing basis.

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to read every column.

An unresolved destination requirement may need the importer or a specialist reviewer. A sample-versus-drawing conflict needs the authorised product decision-maker. A delivery-scope mismatch needs clarification with the commercial parties and relevant logistics provider. Assign the right owner instead of recording a supplier’s reassurance as approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request a quote if I only have a product photo?

Yes, as an exploratory request. Identify what the image is meant to show and what remains unknown, including dimensions, material or construction. Ask the supplier to describe the proposed product and assumptions. Treat the response as preliminary until the specification is sufficiently defined.

Should I send confidential drawings to every potential supplier?

Decide what each candidate needs at that stage. You can start with a limited brief, confirm the recipient and agree suitable confidentiality and permitted-use arrangements before sharing sensitive files. Keep a record of the version and recipient. Get qualified advice where intellectual-property exposure is material.

What changes when I am reordering an existing product?

Reference the previous approved specification and identify what remains unchanged, but still issue the current quantity, destination and commercial request. Ask the supplier to identify any proposed material, process, price or timing changes. A previous order is a reference; it does not answer every question about the new one.

Does an RFQ authorise production or create a purchase order?

Keep your authority clear: state that the request is for quotation and that production requires a separate written approval or order from an authorised person. Do not rely on the document’s title to determine its legal effect. Obtain qualified contract advice if the wording or commitments are uncertain.

Discuss your RFQ with Pupulan

WENZHOU PUPULAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO., LTD. is an import-export trading and sourcing company based in Wenzhou, coordinating independent factories. Pupulan can discuss supplier responses, sampling and order coordination for your product; scope, feasibility and commercial terms are confirmed for the specific engagement. Review the sourcing and export services and agree the service scope and buyer responsibilities before assigning work.