Should You Ask a Promotional Product Supplier in China to Quote Products and Shipping Separately
As a promotional product distributor, sourcing locally means shipping costs are just a small portion of the total price and are well under control. However, did you feel some of the orders have a hefty shipping cost, and have you wondered whether the order was shipped from overseas? Do you know how much is international shipping from China?
While it’s cheaper to source from overseas, it’s essential to understand how each cost impacts your final price. While some suppliers readily provide transparent quotes, others hesitate to itemize the products and shipping separately, often using the free shipping strategy. This article will discuss when and how to ask Chinese suppliers to quote separately.Â
How Different Promotional Product Suppliers in China Itemize Quotes
- If you order directly from factories:
You will likely receive EXW (essentially factory-cost) or FOB Origin (all costs until the port) quotes. It’s your responsibility to handle international shipping, tariffs, and in-state shipping. - If you work with a sourcing agent:
A sourcing agent will manage the whole sourcing process for a client and is transparent about product costs, shipping charges, and other fees. There’s a good reason for this: some agents quote a service fee as a percentage of the product cost, and others quote the fee as a percentage of the shipping charges, usually for large orders (e.g., container-load). - If you order from a dealer in China:
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- If the dealer is transparent about where it is based
It depends on the dealer. Some will give you an itemized quote, and others will provide a lump-sum quote. - If the dealer claims to be a US supplier but operates from China
The dealer will mark up the products and shipping, and give you a “free shipping” quote.My advice is to do your due diligence to find out where the dealer operates the business, and firmly request a cost breakdown.
- If the dealer is transparent about where it is based
- If you source through your freight forwarder in China:
Your freight forwarder loops you in with suppliers. You’ll get the product quote from the supplier and the shipping quote from the freight forwarder, respectively.
- If you order directly from factories:
Summary
It’s important to understand how each cost component affects the final price of a promotional product sourced from China.
In general, when and how you should request an itemized quote depends on these factors:
- How large/urgent is your order?
- Are you dealing with a factory, sourcing agent, product dealer, or freight forwarder in China?
- Is the dealer transparent about where they operate the business?
Large orders and working with sourcing agents usually mean clearer quotes. For smaller deals, always push for itemized pricing. Be professional—let the supplier know you understand overseas costs like shipping and tariffs. You may not have the leverage of a big importer, but a strong relationship with your supplier or agent helps!
