MOQ, Lead Times & Incoterms: Ordering Tents From China Without Surprises

If this is your first container, the good news is that tents are one of the more forgiving categories to import: they are light for their volume, they do not need certification for most markets, and defects are visible rather than latent. The bad news is that lead times are seasonal and fabric is bought, not stocked. Get the sequence wrong and you miss your window by a season.

1. MOQ — what is real and what is negotiable

MOQ is driven by fabric, not by labour. A dye lot or a coated-roll minimum forces a floor quantity; sewing capacity is comparatively flexible. That is why our standard tiers look like this:

Existing model + your logo	100–200 pcs per colour
Existing model, custom colourway	300–500 pcs
Fully custom design (new pattern)	500 pcs plus tooling/sample cost
Mixed container, several SKUs	MOQ applies per SKU, not per order

2. Lead time — the real sequence

Quoted lead times usually start from deposit, not from first contact. Understand what happens in that window:

1. Sample & approval — 3 to 15 days. In-house sample rooms can turn a modified existing model in under a week; a new pattern needs pattern-making and grading.
2. Fabric procurement — 10 to 25 days. Coating and dyeing is the long pole. This is the step that breaks schedules, not sewing.
3. Production — 15 to 30 days for a 20ft container of mixed SKUs, depending on complexity and how many decoration processes are involved.
4. QC & packing — 3 to 5 days. Budget for it; do not let it be a surprise.

Add it up and 45–60 days from deposit to ex-factory is a realistic planning number for a first order, 30–40 days for a repeat order on an approved model.

3. Seasonality — the part nobody warns you about

European and North American camping volume is brutally front-loaded. Buyers who want product on shelf by March place POs in October–November; the factories that are still free in December are free for a reason. Our own peak booking window is August to November for spring delivery. If you are reading this later than that, ask about in-stock models rather than custom ones.

4. Payment terms that protect both sides

• 30% deposit / 70% against B/L copy — the market standard and a reasonable starting point.
• 100% irrevocable L/C at sight — common above USD 100k; expect the factory to price in the bank fees.
• Trade Assurance or escrow — sensible for a first order with an unverified supplier; expect a modest premium for it.

Avoid full prepayment on a first order, and equally avoid asking a factory to carry 100% of the material cost — the discount you are offered will be paid back in fabric quality.

5. Incoterms — which one for a first container

EXW	Cheapest per unit, most work for you. Only if you already have a forwarder in China.
FOB	The default for a first order. Factory clears export and loads; you own the freight.
CIF	Factory pays freight and insurance to your port. Convenient, slightly padded pricing.
DDP	Door delivery including duties. Highest price, least control over clearance.

For a first container we recommend FOB a major port (Ningbo or Shanghai). It is the term both sides can execute without surprises, and it keeps freight decisions — and freight savings — in your hands.

6. The four documents to demand before shipping

• Commercial invoice and packing list matching the actual carton count
• Packing declaration with gross/net weights per SKU
• Pre-shipment inspection report with photos of random pulls
• Any compliance paperwork you specified (CPAI-84, REACH, EN) — at PO stage, not after

A realistic first-order plan

Take one or two proven models, apply your logo, order 200–300 pieces each, ship FOB, and use the sell-through to justify a fully custom programme next season. It is the lowest-risk path to a real product line — and it gives your supplier a fair shot at showing you what they can do before you commit tooling money.