How to Write an RFQ to a Chinese Supplier (With Template)

Most first-time importers send messages that read like casual inquiries. “Hi, I’m interested in your Bluetooth speaker. Can you send me pricing?” That’s not an RFQ. That’s an invitation for a middleman to quote you retail prices and string you along for weeks.

A real Request for Quotation is a document. It has structure, specifics, and your terms. Suppliers who receive a professional RFQ know they’re dealing with a buyer who understands the process. They respond with real factory pricing. They ask fewer stalling questions. And you can actually compare quotes across multiple suppliers on the same spreadsheet.

Writing a good RFQ takes 20 minutes. It saves you hours of back-and-forth.

The Difference Between a Vague Inquiry and a Real RFQ

Vague inquiry: “What’s your price for Bluetooth speakers?”

A supplier receiving that message has no idea what you want. They’ll quote you whatever looks safe, usually a high number with big margins. Or they’ll ask 15 questions back, each one a delay. The conversation drags on for two weeks before you get a number that means nothing because the spec doesn’t match what you need.

A real RFQ tells the supplier: here’s exactly what I want, here’s how many I’m buying, here’s my target price, here’s when I need it. They can say yes, no, or counter. The conversation moves fast.

The other thing a professional RFQ signals: you’re worth their time. Chinese factories have a real cost attached to sampling, quoting, and back-and-forth communication. If you look like a buyer who might order 50 units and then disappear, they’ll deprioritize you. A structured RFQ signals you know how this works.

What Goes in an Effective Electronics RFQ

Product Specifications

Start with the technical specs. Be specific without sharing anything proprietary. For electronics, this usually includes:

• Product category (Bluetooth speaker, power bank, TWS earbuds, etc.)
• Physical dimensions (L x W x H in mm, weight in grams)
• Key technical specs (battery capacity, output wattage, Bluetooth version, IP rating if needed)
• Materials (ABS plastic, aluminum alloy, fabric exterior, etc.)
• Color options you need
• Any specific chip or component requirements if you have them

Don’t attach CAD files or proprietary circuit board designs to an RFQ sent to a supplier you haven’t vetted. The RFQ phase is for catalog products or general specs. Proprietary design sharing comes later, after you’ve signed an NNN agreement and verified the factory.

Target Quantity and Projected Volume

Give both numbers. Your initial order quantity and your projected annual volume. This matters because it changes how the factory prices you.

A factory quoting 500 units will price for the risk of a small order. A factory that knows you’ll order 5,000 units quarterly will quote differently. You don’t have to commit to the projected volume, but giving it signals your intent and gets you better baseline pricing.

Example: “Initial order: 500 units. Projected annual volume: 3,000-5,000 units if quality and timeline targets are met.”

Target Unit Price and Your Reasoning

Name a number. Buyers who refuse to name a price waste everyone’s time. Give your target FOB price and explain how you got there. Maybe you’ve gotten other quotes, or you’ve priced backward from your retail target margin. Either way, give the supplier something to work with.

“Target unit price: $14.50 FOB Shenzhen. This is based on comparable spec products we’ve sampled from other suppliers.”

That sentence does a lot of work. It tells the supplier you’ve done this before. It gives them a benchmark. And it opens a negotiation instead of a guessing game.

Packaging Requirements

Specify your packaging requirements at the RFQ stage. This affects price more than most buyers expect.

• Retail packaging (printed box with insert tray, color matching, branded)
• White box / plain packaging (for B2B or private label relabeling)
• Master carton dimensions and qty per carton
• Any barcodes you need pre-printed (UPC, EAN)
• Poly bag requirements for fragile components

If you need custom packaging, say so. Ask whether they handle packaging in-house or outsource it. Outsourced packaging adds lead time and markup.

Certification Requirements

For electronics imported into the US, you need FCC certification. For EU imports, CE marking. For some product categories (wireless devices, anything with a battery), there may be additional requirements.

State what you need in the RFQ. Don’t assume the factory’s existing certifications cover your product variant. If you’re changing the firmware, the antenna, or the battery, that may require retesting.

Ask whether the existing certification covers your specs, and if not, what retesting would cost and how long it takes. Get this answer in writing before ordering.

Sample Request

Include your sample terms in the RFQ. Most factories charge for samples on electronics, typically $50-150 for the sample plus freight. You want to know:

• Per-sample cost
• Sample lead time (typically 7-15 days for existing products)
• Freight options (DHL/FedEx, and whether they can use your account number)

Say clearly that you’re requesting samples before placing any production order. This is standard practice and any real factory expects it.

Timeline

Give your target production date and your hard ship date if you have one. If you’re sourcing for a seasonal product or a retail launch, say so. Factories book production capacity months out. A buyer who needs 500 units by a fixed date is easier to schedule than a buyer who’s vague about timing.

Also ask for their current production lead time. A factory with 90-day lead time can’t hit a 60-day ship date no matter how good the price is.

Payment Terms You’re Proposing

First-time buyers almost always get 30% deposit, 70% before shipment. That’s the default. But state your terms in the RFQ so the supplier addresses them in their response.

If you have a target you want to work toward (30/70 for order 1, then net 30 after order 3), say so. It shows you’re thinking about a long-term relationship, not a one-off.

RFQ Template: Bluetooth Speaker Example

Here’s an actual RFQ document structure with example content filled in.

Request for Quotation, Portable Bluetooth Speaker Date: [Your Date] Company: [Your Company Name] Contact: [Name, Email, Phone]

Product Specification Product type: Portable Bluetooth speaker Dimensions: Approximately 150mm x 55mm x 55mm (cylindrical form factor) Weight: Under 350g Battery: 2,000mAh minimum, Li-ion Output: 5W minimum (2 x 2.5W stereo preferred) Bluetooth: 5.0 or higher Playtime: 8+ hours at 70% volume Charging: USB-C, 5V/1A minimum IP rating: IPX5 waterproof minimum Color options required: Black, Navy, Red (3 SKUs, same tooling) Materials: ABS plastic housing, rubber end caps Controls: Power, volume up/down, play/pause, pairing button Packaging: Retail color box with foam insert, white label (we will apply our brand label)

Quantity Initial order: 500 units (split 200/150/150 across 3 colors) Projected annual volume: 3,000-5,000 units if quality and delivery targets are met

Target Pricing Target unit price: $9.50-11.00 FOB Shenzhen We’ve reviewed comparable products from other factories and this range reflects our margin requirements for this product category.

Certifications Required FCC Part 15 (US market) Please confirm your existing FCC certification covers this specification or advise on recertification cost and timeline.

Samples We require 2 samples per color (6 units total) before placing any production order. Please quote: per-sample price, sample lead time, DHL freight cost to [City, State] USA. We can provide our DHL account number if preferred.

Production Timeline Target production start: 4-6 weeks from sample approval Target ship date: [Target Date] Please confirm your current production lead time for a 500-unit order.

Payment Terms Proposing: 30% deposit at order confirmation, 70% balance before shipment via T/T. Open to discussing terms after first successful order.

Please Include in Your Response Unit price at 500 units and at 1,000 units Total FOB price per SKU Packaging cost (retail box as specified) FCC certification status and any recertification costs Sample cost and lead time Production lead time Any tooling or setup fees

That’s the whole document. Two pages. Every section is answered-or-not by the supplier’s response, which tells you a lot about how they operate.

Sending to Multiple Suppliers Simultaneously

Send this RFQ to 5-8 suppliers at the same time. That’s standard practice. You’re not obligated to buy from anyone at the RFQ stage, and no serious supplier expects exclusivity before a purchase order is signed.

Don’t tell suppliers you’re sending to multiple factories. It’s implied. You don’t need to announce it, and announcing it can feel like an invitation for a race to the bottom on price before you’ve even seen samples.

Use the same RFQ document for all suppliers. Don’t customize per supplier at this stage. You want comparable responses on the same spec sheet.

Give a response deadline. “Please respond by [date] to be considered for sampling.” This filters out slow responders and keeps the process moving.

What to Do With the Responses

When responses come in, build a comparison spreadsheet. Columns for:

• Supplier name and Alibaba/1688 link
• Quoted unit price at 500 units
• Quoted unit price at 1,000 units
• Sample cost
• Sample lead time
• Production lead time
• FCC status (covered, needs retest, unknown)
• Packaging cost
• Notes

Then normalize. A $9.00 quote with $2.00 packaging is $11.00. A $10.50 quote with packaging included is $10.50. Compare apples to apples.

For suppliers in your shortlist (usually 2-3), send clarifying questions. Ask about anything vague. Get the answers in writing before you order samples.

Red Flags in RFQ Responses

A few responses should trigger immediate skepticism.

A quote that arrives within an hour with no clarifying questions almost certainly means you’re talking to a trading company that’s quoting from memory, not a factory pulling real numbers. Real factories need time to check production schedules and calculate costs.

A price that’s dramatically lower than all other quotes, with no explanation, is a warning. It might be a low-quality product on different specs, a bait-and-switch, or a factory that doesn’t understand what you’ve asked for.

A response that ignores half your questions (skips FCC status, doesn’t address packaging, gives no lead time) is a factory that either can’t deliver or doesn’t read carefully. Either problem carries into production.

A supplier that immediately pushes to move to WhatsApp without answering your RFQ on the platform is another signal. They want to get off the tracked platform. That’s not always bad, but don’t move off-platform until you’ve confirmed their factory is real and they’ve answered your RFQ in full.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many suppliers should I send an RFQ to? Send to 5-8 at the RFQ stage. You’ll likely get real responses from 3-5. From there, narrow to 2-3 for sampling. You can’t productively manage more than 3 sample evaluations at once for electronics.

Should I share my product design in the RFQ? No. The RFQ stage is for catalog products or general specs. If you have proprietary designs (custom PCB, unique enclosure shape, firmware), share those only after a signed NNN agreement and factory verification. The RFQ should describe what you need, not show them how to build it without you.

What if my target price is lower than all the quotes I receive? It means your price is too low, your volume is too small, or both. Don’t fake it. Go back to your margin math and figure out what price point actually works at your likely order quantity. Sometimes the product just doesn’t work at your target retail price given real manufacturing costs.

How long should I wait for responses? Give suppliers 5-7 business days to respond. Follow up once after 3 days if you haven’t heard back. If they haven’t responded after a follow-up, remove them from your list. Slow RFQ response usually means slow production communication.

Can I use an RFQ for custom products, or only catalog items? You can use an RFQ for custom products, but limit the spec detail at this stage. Describe function and general form. Don’t share CAD or circuit designs. Once you’ve signed an NNN agreement and done basic factory vetting, that’s when you share the full design package for a detailed quote.

Do I need to use a formal document, or is email okay? Either works. The point is the content, not the format. A well-structured email covers the same ground as a PDF attachment. Some buyers prefer to send a PDF so the supplier can’t selectively ignore parts of the inquiry by scrolling past them. Both approaches are fine.