Most chair orders that go wrong, go wrong on the basics. Not customs issues, not customer service — just buying too many, paying too much, or waiting too long because the buyer didn’t understand the three numbers that drive everything.

MOQ — Minimum Order Quantity

The smallest number of units a factory will produce per model in one production run. Lower MOQ means you can test the market with less inventory exposure. Higher MOQ means cheaper per-unit price (the factory amortises setup cost).

Typical ranges by category:

• Office task chairs: 200-500 stock, 500+ custom
• Gaming chairs: 100-300 stock, 300+ custom
• Mesh ergonomic: 200-500
• Dining chairs: 100-300
• Bar stools: 100-300
• Outdoor chairs: 200-500
• Banquet chairs: 500+ (low margin, volume game)
• Massage chairs: 50-100

Negotiating MOQ down is possible at a per-unit price premium of 10-20%. Whether that math works depends on your sell-through rate.

FOB — Free on Board

The chair price at the port of departure (Ningbo, Shanghai, Shenzhen, etc.) with export packing complete. The factory covers everything up to the moment the chair is loaded onto the ship. After that, freight, insurance, destination charges are on you.

FOB is the most common Incoterm for chair quotes from China. Alternatives:

• EXW (Ex Works): cheaper FOB equivalent, but you arrange inland trucking from factory to port. Rarely worth it unless you have your own freight forwarder in China.
• CIF (Cost Insurance Freight): includes sea freight and insurance to destination port. Convenient but factories build a margin into the freight quote.
• DAP / DDP: delivered to your address / customs cleared. Most expensive option, but factory handles everything. Good for first-time importers who don’t have customs broker relationships.

Lead time

The number of days from deposit payment to ship-ready in the port. Three components:

• Production: 25-35 days for stock models, +10-20 days for ODM customisation, +25-40 days if new tooling is needed.
• QC + packing: 3-5 days after production complete.
• Booking and loading: 5-10 days depending on port congestion.

Then add sea transit: 18-25 days to US West Coast, 25-30 days to US East Coast, 30-40 days to Europe, 25-35 days to Middle East, 12-20 days to Southeast Asia.

Plan your peak season carefully

If you need stock for September (e.g. back-to-school office furniture), place the order in early June. If you need for November (Black Friday), place in late August. If you need for Q1 of next year, place by mid-November.

Chinese New Year shuts factories down for 3-4 weeks every February. Anything placed after mid-December will probably miss CNY and not ship until late February. Plan accordingly.

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