What sits inside an FOB quote
| Cost layer | Included in FOB? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goods (surplus lot price) | Yes | The lot price — take-all or MOQ split |
| Export packing / neutral repacking | Yes | De-branding and neutral cartons where required |
| Inland transport to port | Yes | Shunde warehouse to Foshan/Nansha port |
| Export customs declaration | Yes | Under general trade or 1039 as appropriate |
| Port charges to on-board | Yes | THC and documentation up to on-board |
| Main sea freight | No — buyer | Book via your forwarder under FOB |
| Cargo insurance | No — buyer | Buyer's call under FOB |
| Destination charges, duty, clearance | No — buyer | Depends on destination market and certificates |
Surplus versus production pricing
A fresh-production order prices in materials, labor, factory margin and your compliance costs from zero — new certifications if the model has never shipped to your market. A surplus lot prices in warehouse pressure: the goods exist, the original buyer defaulted, and every week in storage costs the seller money. That is the 20–30% discount on Grade A stock.
Offset it honestly: model the defect allowance (up to 2.5%), possible re-certification if the lot's certificates don't map to your market, and the de-branding/repacking scope. On a well-documented lot, the discount survives all three with room to spare.
Take-all vs MOQ: the arithmetic
Take-all (whole-lot) pricing is meaningfully lower per unit than MOQ splits — the seller's problem disappears in one transaction. Whether the saving survives contact with logistics depends on volume: run the lot through the container formula (usable CBM ÷ carton CBM with a 5–10% buffer) before comparing. A take-all on a 40HQ-friendly quantity almost always wins; a take-all that forces a half-empty container can lose to a leaner MOQ split.
The per-unit freight test
- Get the all-in freight quote first. Ask your forwarder for the destination's per-container rate from Foshan/Nansha, then divide by the container's unit count from the loading plan.
- Compare landed cost, not FOB cost. Landed unit cost = FOB unit price + per-unit freight + per-unit duty. A 25% FOB discount can shrink to 15% landed if the lot cubes out poorly — the container plan decides.
- Watch currency and validity. Settlement is in USD or CNY; quotes older than about 7 days should be re-confirmed before deposit.
Reading a BulkVolt lot sheet
Every lot sheet lists unit and take-all pricing, quantity and packing data, condition grade, certification status and QC evidence — the inputs for the landed-cost calculation above. Plug the carton CBM into the container estimator, layer your freight quote on top, and the deal's economics are fully visible before you make an offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does FOB Foshan include?+
Under Incoterms 2020, FOB means the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port (Foshan or Nansha) and bears costs up to that point: the goods, export packing, inland transport to port, export customs clearance and port charges. Main-sea freight, insurance and destination charges belong to the buyer.
How much cheaper is surplus than fresh production?+
Grade A cancelled-order lots typically clear 20–30% below fresh-production FOB for the same model class. Display and open-box lots price lower case-by-case depending on hours and accessories.
Why is take-all pricing lower than MOQ pricing?+
The seller's core problem is clearing the whole lot — warehouse rent and trapped cash. A buyer who takes everything removes that problem in one move, and the per-unit saving usually outweighs the extra freight per piece when run through a container plan.
Why do surplus quotes expire after about a week?+
Surplus pricing reflects warehouse pressure and exchange rates at the moment of quoting, not a catalogue. Validity of around 7 days is standard; anything older should be re-confirmed before a deposit is wired.
Official References
Rules and product scopes change. Confirm the current HS-code treatment with the destination importer, authority, certification body and customs broker before shipment.
Check a live lot before you import
Request vetted buyer access for current specifications, inspection evidence, packing data and private FOB offers.