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Start with verified sources: Alibaba (Gold Suppliers), Global Sources, Made-in-China, and verified trade-show lists (Canton Fair). Cross-check by requesting business licenses, export records, factory photos, recent references, and by ordering samples or factory audits before committing to an MOQ.

Typical MOQs range from 300–3,000 units depending on product complexity and materials; commodity items can be 500–1,000 while electronics or engineered parts often start at 1,000–3,000. You can often negotiate lower MOQs by accepting higher per-unit price, agreeing to pay tooling fees, or committing to staggered shipments.

An effective RFQ includes: detailed product spec sheet (dimensions, materials, tolerances), target price per unit, target annual volume, desired lead time, packaging requirements, sample request and payment terms, and the intended Incoterm. Clear drawings/photos and tolerances reduce back-and-forth and prevent surprise add-ons to quotes.

The most effective levers are volume commitments (tiered pricing), longer lead times, consolidated SKUs, accepting standardized packaging, paying earlier, and offering multi-SKU or repeat-order forecasts. Combining several levers—e.g., slightly longer lead time plus 6-month forecast—often reduces FOB by 5–20%.

FOB (Free On Board) is most commonly recommended because it gives you control over the main carriage and freight forwarder; DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is easier for beginners but hides logistics costs and often raises total landed cost. Use FCA/EXW only if you have a freight forwarder to manage pickup and export documentation.

Register trademarks in your target markets before large production runs, use NDAs selectively (more useful for specialized engineering than commodity items), watermark and track samples, lock critical tooling with written agreements, and consider registering designs or utility models in suppliers' jurisdictions when practical. Also include IP assignment clauses and non-compete language in supplier agreements.

Always do pre-shipment inspection (PSI) for the first production run; consider pre-production inspection for complex parts and in-line checks for long production runs. Use inspection companies that provide specific checklists tied to your RFQ; skipping inspections is the most common cause of quality-related returns and listing suppression on Amazon.

Landed cost must include unit FOB/EXW price, packaging, inland transport, freight, insurance, customs duties, VAT, Amazon prep/labeling fees, FBA inbound fees, and a buffer for returns and QC failure rates—typically add a 15–30% overhead cushion on top of the supplier price. Build a per-SKU cost model and run worst-case and best-case scenarios before price-setting.

Major red flags include refusal to provide factory photos or export license, inconsistent or evasive communication, inability to produce references or recent client names, insistence on full upfront payment without Trade Assurance/escrow, and frequent last-minute lead-time changes. Also watch for inconsistent sample quality compared to bulk production.

Yes—common terms are 30% deposit and 70% on B/L or before shipment; safer options include 30/70 with the balance payable after a third-party pre-shipment inspection. For very new suppliers, use Trade Assurance, PayPal for small orders, or a letter of credit if order value is high and you need bank-level protection.