Check-list d'achat en gros : MOQ, échantillons, QC, Incoterms

Most first orders go wrong in the same four places, and none of them is about the product. They are commercial and procedural, which means they can be settled before an order is placed rather than negotiated afterwards.

One: what the minimum order actually covers

An MOQ is rarely a single number. It usually bundles a product quantity, a packaging quantity and a print run, and the print run is often the binding constraint. Ask which of the three is driving the figure — the answer tells you what to negotiate.

It is frequently cheaper to accept a shared carton with a custom label than to insist on a fully custom box at a low volume. That single change can cut an MOQ by two thirds.

Two: how samples are taken

"Sample" can mean a hand-built unit, a pilot batch unit, or a unit pulled from a production run. The three are not the same, and a supplier that sends the first while quoting the third is not necessarily dishonest — but you should know which one you are approving.

Ask for it in writing, and ask whether the sample is from the same material lot as the production run.

Three: who inspects, and when

Pre-shipment inspection is worth more than arrival inspection, because it moves the argument to a point where it can still be resolved. Agree who performs it, at what stage, and what the acceptance criteria are.

At minimum, get photographs of the packed goods before the container is sealed. It is inexpensive and it settles most disputes about condition on arrival.

Four: the Incoterm

• EXW: cheapest on paper, most work for you. Only sensible if you already have a freight forwarder handling collection in China.
• FOB: the usual default for a first order. The supplier handles export clearance and loading; you control the freight.
• CIF: convenient, but the insurance cover is minimum, and the freight rate is the supplier's, not yours. Check both before accepting.
• DDP: simplest to plan, usually the most expensive, and it hides the duty and freight components you may want to see separately.

What to put in the first order

A written order that specifies the product, the packaging, the inspection step, the Incoterm, the documents required and the remedy if the goods do not conform. Two pages is enough. The point is not legal weight — it is that writing it down forces both sides to mean the same thing.