Sep 13, 2026Sourcing Guides
8 Things to Confirm Before Your First Order from China
MOQ, lead time, samples, inspection and after-sales: the eight decisions to lock down in writing before your first order from China - and how to get each one confirmed.
First orders from China fail far more often over missing details than over bad factories. The buyer assumed a lead time was fixed, the supplier assumed packaging was standard, and nobody put the sample decision in writing. This article gives you the eight decisions to lock down before you place a first order - and how to get each one confirmed in writing rather than in a chat message.
1. Scope and suitability: what this product can and cannot do
Before price, confirm the boundary of the product itself: which materials, sizes, use conditions and certifications the factory can actually deliver, and which requests it will decline. A clear scope statement protects you from ordering something the line was never set up to make. Ask the supplier to state exclusions in writing - what the product is not suitable for is as important as what it is.
2. Lead time: production window, not a promise
Confirm two separate timelines in writing: sample lead time and mass-production lead time, plus what changes them - material availability, color changes, peak season. Ask what happens if the schedule slips and require that schedule changes be notified within an agreed window. A written baseline date with a defined notification rule is worth more than an optimistic verbal estimate.
3. MOQ and the price ladder
Minimum order quantities exist for a reason - color changes, machine setup, material minimums - so ask why the MOQ is what it is. Then request the price ladder: unit price at your target quantity, at higher volumes, and any breaks by color or specification. This turns a single quote into a decision tool and shows which suppliers scale with your growth.
4. Sampling process and sample terms
Confirm who pays for samples and shipping, how long each round takes, and how many rounds are included before charges apply. Keep a signed or marked golden sample as the standard your mass production will be judged against. Every deviation you accept verbally now becomes a dispute later.
5. Disqualifying conditions: when to walk away
Decide in advance which signals end the conversation: refusal to allow a video factory tour, quotes far below the market for the same specification, unwillingness to name a real address, or no explanation of their quality control process. Writing these walk-away conditions before you negotiate removes the temptation to rationalize them later.
6. Test methods and standards
Agree how quality will be measured: which test standard applies, which laboratory or inspection body performs it, and who owns the cost. For regulated products, confirm which certifications your destination market actually requires versus which ones the supplier merely claims - and ask for the certificate numbers so you can verify them.
7. Specifications explained line by line
Walk the specification sheet with the supplier and have them explain each parameter in their own words - material grades, tolerances, finishes and their practical differences for your use case. Suppliers who can explain why a parameter matters are demonstrating process knowledge; suppliers who agree to everything are demonstrating nothing.
8. Inspection, claims and after-sales boundaries
Confirm the inspection checkpoint (usually pre-shipment, AQL-based), what happens when a batch fails, and the after-sales window: response time limits, how defects are compensated, and the rule that compensation terms follow the approved contract rather than individual promises. Put the whole chain in the purchase agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine these confirmations into one document?
Yes - a simple order confirmation sheet covering scope, lead time, MOQ and price ladder, sample standard, test method and after-sales window is standard practice and suppliers expect it.
Do I need all eight for a small trial order?
Scale the depth, not the list. Even a trial order should have the scope, the sample standard and the inspection method in writing - those three prevent the most expensive disputes.
What if the supplier refuses to put things in writing?
Treat it as a screening signal. Established exporters work with written confirmations daily; refusal usually means the terms being refused are the ones they cannot meet.
Migibio Sourcing runs this confirmation process for overseas buyers - supplier search, sampling, quality inspection and order management from Chengdu, China. Send us your product and target market and we will put the checklist to work on your first order.
