How to read a China auto-parts quotation, line by line

A quotation is a specification of a deal, not a price list. Two suppliers can both write “USD 112 per pair” and mean different things: one includes packing, one does not; one quotes a 20-pair MOQ tier, the other a 100-pair tier; one has no validity date, the other counts on a freight market that moves weekly.

This is the line-by-line anatomy we use at quotation time. The numbers in the worked example are illustrative — they show how the same figure can hide different scope, not what anything costs.

The header: the six fields that define the deal

Before the line items, a usable quotation states:

1. Quote number and date — the reference that makes “you said USD 112 last month” resolvable.
2. Validity — days or a fixed date. Freight, resin and currency move; a quote with no validity is not a commitment.
3. Incoterm and named place — “FOB Shanghai” or “DDP Jebel Ali”, not “FOB China”. The named place is where risk and cost split, and the difference between Shanghai and Ningbo can matter.
4. Payment terms — deposit percentage, balance trigger (before shipment or against the bill of lading), currency and bank charges.
5. Destination and HS codes — the destination determines conformity scope; the HS code determines duty. A DDP quote without HS codes is an estimate, not a landed number.
6. What is included — packing type, labels, documents, inspection and sample cost, or an explicit “excluded” list.

If any of the six is missing, the quotation is a first draft. Ask; it is cheaper than discovering the gap after the deposit.

The line item: what each column should contain

A body-parts line should be narrow enough to quote without ambiguity:

Column	What it should say	Why it matters
Item / SKU	Supplier code plus your reference or OEM number	The same part can be catalogued under several names
Description	Part name, side (LH/RH), finish/colour	“Headlight” is not a part; a left smoked unit is
Fitment	Make, model, generation/year range, trim if relevant	T6 and T9 Ranger lamps are not interchangeable
Quantity	Pieces, pairs or sets — explicitly	A “20” can mean 20 pieces or 20 pairs
Unit price	Currency, per piece or per pair	Pair pricing is normal for lamps, unit pricing for panels
MOQ / price tier	The tier the price belongs to, and the next break	A price at 100 pcs is not available at 20
Packing / CBM	Carton size, pieces per carton, CBM per unit	Freight per CBM is where mixed orders are won or lost
Lead time	Days after deposit and artwork/sample approval	“7–15 days” stock versus a painted or new-tooling line
Remarks	Tooling, sample, certificate or labelling conditions	The lines that turn into change orders later

The fitment line is the one to read most carefully. A quotation that says “Ranger 2012–2022 headlight” is hiding at least two generations in one row; ask for the split before you compare it to a supplier who quoted T6 and T9 separately.

The fields buyers skip

• Tooling and mould cost. Separate from the piece price, usually one-time, and the ownership should be written next to it. If a design is private to you, the quote should say who holds the tool and what happens to it if you stop ordering.
• Sample vs mass production. The sample may be a hand-built unit or from a different line. Ask whether the quote is based on a production sample and whether the sample is charged against the first order.
• Price-break logic. A tier at 100 pcs is useful only if the quote states the tier at 20 and 500 too. “Best price” without the quantity curve cannot be compared.
• Freight and insurance validity. Under CIF and DDP, the freight is inside the number; its validity is shorter than the goods price validity.
• QC and inspection. Whether final inspection is a factory report, a third-party inspection arranged by you, or neither. The pre-shipment inspection checklist lists what to agree here.
• Warranty and replacement terms. Period, what is covered (function vs finish), who pays return freight and what evidence is required. The warranty playbook covers the mechanics.
• Documents included. Certificate of origin, test reports, conformity support: some suppliers include them, some quote them as extra lines.

A worked comparison, clearly illustrative

Two hypothetical quotes for the same 40-pair order of a T9 LED headlight, both written as “USD 112”:

Item	Quote A	Quote B
Unit price (per pair)	112	112
Quantity basis	40 pairs, price break at 100	40 pairs, 20-pair price
Packing	1 pair per carton, CBM stated	Bulk carton, “packing to be confirmed”
Incoterm	FOB Shanghai, valid 7 days	DDP Jebel Ali, valid 15 days
Inspection	Factory report included	Third-party inspection not included
HS code	Stated	“Lamps”
Approximate invoice	4,480 + origin charges	4,480 + destination, duty included

The unit prices are identical; the landed outcomes are not. Quote B may be the better deal — or it may be a 20-pair price pretending to be a 40-pair price with duty estimated on the wrong HS code. The only way to know is to normalise both to the same incoterm, packing basis and quantity tier. The EXW vs FOB vs DDP guide covers the cost-block conversion; this article is about the document that starts it.

Red flags in a quotation

• No validity date, or “prices subject to change” with a DDP number.
• “FOB China” with no port and no named place.
• Missing side, finish or generation on a handed part.
• A price tier that does not match the quantity you asked for.
• No HS code on a DDP quote.
• No lead-time basis (after deposit? after sample approval? after artwork?).
• Warranty stated as “no problem” rather than a period and a process.

Comparing two quotes line by line

Print both, align the rows, and normalise three things before you compare totals: the incoterm (convert both to FOB or both to DDP), the quantity tier (both at your real order volume) and the packing basis (measured CBM per unit). Then sort by landed cost, not invoice value. If the gap is under roughly 8–12%, take the clearer document; if it is larger, the difference is in a specific line — find it.

The quotation is also a preview of how the supplier works. A quote that answers these fields without a second round of questions is usually a supplier whose production and export teams communicate the same way. The import process guide shows what happens after the quote is accepted, and the sourcing checklist covers the supplier-side questions to ask in parallel.

If you want your current list quoted line by line with the fields above filled in, send it with the destination and incoterm — or paste it into the bulk RFQ form and we will return the quotation with HS codes and CBM per line. For a question on how a specific line should read, message the export team on WhatsApp — we will compare it with you, line by line.

FAQ

Which fields define a usable quotation? Quote number and date, validity, incoterm with a named place, payment terms, destination and HS codes, and what is included in the price. If one of those is missing, the quotation is a draft. Ask for the missing field before comparing it with another offer.

How do I compare two quotations fairly? Normalise both to the same incoterm, the same quantity tier and the same packing basis. Then compare landed cost rather than unit price. If the gap is small, take the clearer document; if it is large, find the line that explains it before deciding.

What do buyers usually miss in a quote? Tooling ownership and cost, whether the sample is production-grade, the price-break curve beyond the quoted tier, freight validity, the QC and warranty terms, and which documents are included. Those are the lines that turn into change orders later.

What are the red flags in a quotation? No validity date, “FOB China” with no named port, a DDP number without HS codes, a price tier that does not match your quantity, and no lead-time basis. A quote with these gaps is not a commitment; it is a starting point for questions.