How MOQ Works When You Source From China

MOQ is not one number

MOQ is different for every product and usually ranges from 200 to 1000 pcs. Buyers often treat it as a supplier policy, but it is closer to an accounting fact: it is the quantity at which the factory's setup cost stops dominating the unit price. A moulded plastic item and a stitched textile item reach that point at very different volumes.

What pushes MOQ up

Anything that requires a setup someone has to pay for. A dedicated colour, a custom mould, a printed retail box, a bespoke label, a plating change. Each of those has a fixed cost that is divided across your order. Ask which of your requirements is doing that, because it is usually one of them and not all of them.

What brings MOQ down

Accepting a stock colour, using existing tooling, or starting from a pre-engineered product and modifying it rather than designing from scratch. If you are facing strict time-to-market and want to reduce costs, this is normally the fastest lever available.

Asking the question the useful way

Instead of 'what is your MOQ', ask 'what is the MOQ at stock colour with our logo only, and what does it become with a custom box'. Two numbers tell you where your cost sits. One number tells you nothing.

What we do

We confirm the exact figure with the factory when we quote, and we say which requirement is driving it so you can decide whether to keep it.