Comparing China import quotations starts with one consistent order brief. A lower headline price can cover fewer services, a different product specification or a different delivery point. Use this checklist to make those differences visible before you select a supplier or book freight.
Free buyer resource: Download the editable quotation request and comparison template (.txt). No registration is required. Open it in a text editor, complete the common brief and send the same version to each bidder.
1. Define the same order for every bidder
Record the exact model or product specification, quantity, required samples, packaging, inspection criteria and destination. Include packed dimensions and gross weight where available. If packing data is preliminary, label it as such and ask what would trigger a revised freight price.
- Vehicles: state the model, trim, powertrain, steering position, quantity and destination. For used vehicles, identify the specific vehicle and the inspection evidence required. Check destination eligibility before committing.
- Furniture: state dimensions, materials, fabric, colour, packing method and required quantity. Ask for packed carton measurements; product dimensions alone do not establish shipping volume.
- Other products: provide drawings, photos or measurable acceptance criteria so that “equivalent” offers can be evaluated.
Leave unavailable information marked pending. An unanswered question is not a zero-cost item.
2. Require a written breakdown
For every applicable charge, ask whether it is included, additional, estimated or still unpriced. Record the currency and quote reference. The following is a comparison framework, not a list of charges that every shipment must incur.
| Cost or condition | What to confirm in writing |
|---|---|
| Goods and specification | Exact model/material, quantity, unit price and any sample or tooling costs. |
| Sourcing and inspection | Service fee, inspection scope, acceptance criteria, reporting and remedies for failed checks. |
| Packing and origin handling | Cartons, pallets or crates, pickup, handling and export-paperwork scope. |
| Freight and insurance | Route, transport mode, included surcharges, insurance terms and quotation expiry. |
| Destination services | Terminal or warehouse fees, brokerage, final delivery, unloading and access requirements. |
| Duties and taxes | A destination-specific estimate from a qualified broker or the appropriate authority, with its assumptions. |
| Conditional charges | Possible storage, delay, examination or redelivery charges and the circumstances that trigger them. |
| Timing and payment | Cargo-ready estimate, delivery assumptions, payment milestones and independently verified beneficiary details. |
3. Align the delivery point before comparing totals
Write the agreed Incoterms rule, version and precise named place or port into the comparison. Under FOB and CIF, the normal risk-transfer point is on board the vessel at shipment; CIF payment for carriage to the destination port does not move that risk-transfer point to arrival. FOB and CIF apply to sea or inland-waterway transport. For container-terminal handover or multimodal movements, discuss an appropriate rule such as FCA or CIP with your provider. See ICC’s explanation of FOB and CIF and its rules for any mode of transport.
Do not assume that a quote labelled “CIF” or “all-in” includes every destination cost. Ask the bidder to identify included and excluded charges, and compare both offers to the same agreed delivery boundary.
4. Keep confirmed costs and uncertainties separate
Add only non-overlapping amounts expressed in a common currency. Keep estimated additions, unpriced items and conditional exposure in separate lists. If a service is already included in a bundled quote, do not add it again.
Illustrative arithmetic only: quote A totals 10,000 currency units for its listed scope. Quote B totals 10,400 but includes a service priced separately at 600 in A. After adding that same service, A becomes 10,600. B is then 200 lower for those listed items. This is not a market rate, a complete landed-cost estimate or evidence that the remaining services and risks are equivalent.
Assign someone to resolve each material pending item before payment. Record which figures are fixed, which can change, and the date on which each quote expires. The lowest known subtotal is not necessarily the lowest completed cost.
5. Use the template and retain the answers
- Download and complete the common order brief.
- Send it unchanged to the suppliers or service providers you are comparing.
- Copy each response into a separate bidder section.
- Highlight differences in specifications, delivery scope, exclusions and inspection terms.
- Resolve material unknowns and keep the final written agreement with the quote reference.
Download the free editable RFQ template, or print this page using your browser’s Print command.
Related help for buyers
Explore our China import and export services, read the vehicle FOB versus CIF guide, or compare RoRo and container shipping. Furniture buyers can also review our container-loading guide.
If you want MOE Worldwide to review a sourcing requirement, send your product details and destination. This resource is a planning aid, not a binding quotation, customs ruling, tax calculation or guarantee of import eligibility. Confirm shipment-specific requirements with the relevant provider, broker or authority.