Two numbers decide whether a garment programme is viable: the minimum order quantity and the lead time. Both are usually quoted carelessly — a round figure for MOQ, a single number of days for production — and both turn into real money later, when the colour you needed turns out to require its own dye lot or the shipping window closes before the goods leave the factory.
This guide explains what actually drives MOQ and lead time at a Chinese OEM factory, how to lower the effective risk without demanding an impossible number, and it ends with an RFQ template you can copy into an email today plus a checklist for reading the quotation that comes back.
1. Why MOQ exists at all
Every buyer asks for a lower MOQ, and almost every factory answers “it depends”. It does depend — but not on how much the factory likes you. There are four physical floors under a garment order, and none of them can be negotiated away:
- Fabric. Mills sell by the roll or by a minimum length per colour. A custom colour often means a few hundred metres before the mill will even start the machine.
- Dyeing. Every colour is a separate dye lot with a minimum batch weight. Five colourways are five minimums — not one-fifth of one.
- Print and trims. Sublimation paper, rotary screens, custom elastic, custom rings, pad inserts, printed poly bags and woven labels each carry their own set-up cost or minimum quantity.
- Cutting. A cutting marker is only efficient above a certain number of pieces per size. Below that, fabric loss per piece rises and the price has to rise with it.
So when a buyer sends one style in five colours across six sizes, the factory is not looking at “one small order”. It is looking at five fabric minimums, five dye lots and an inefficient cutting plan. That is why the MOQ conversation is really a fabric conversation.
2. What actually determines your MOQ
Before you argue about the number, find out which line is holding it up. These are the seven factors that move a garment MOQ, and what you can realistically change about each one.
| Factor | Why it moves the MOQ | What you can change |
|---|---|---|
| Number of colourways | Each colour is a separate dye lot with its own minimum metres. | Cut colours, not styles. Two colours in one style is a far cheaper opening order than four. |
| Fabric type | A custom knit or jacquard has a much higher mill minimum than a standard quality. | Use a stock fabric for the first delivery and your own colour on the reorder. |
| Print method | All-over sublimation or rotary print needs set-up before the first metre runs. | Concentrate the print on one style with a higher volume instead of spreading it thin. |
| Trims | Custom elastic, rings, sliders, pad inserts, woven labels and printed bags each have their own minimum. | Use stock trims for the first order; customise the label second. |
| Size range and grading | A wide size range means fewer pieces per size, which hurts cutting efficiency. | Start with the core sizes and add the extremes on the reorder. |
| Packaging | Printed bags, cards and custom cartons are made to order. | Plain packaging on the first drop, branded packaging once volumes justify it. |
| Delivery split | Many small shipments add handling and inspection cost per piece. | Split into two deliveries, not five. |
3. MOQ by category: the 500–1,000 band
We quote 500–1,000 pieces per style across every category we produce. The category does not change the band; three things move you inside it — how many colours you need, whether the fabric is a stock quality or a custom knit, and whether the design needs a print set-up.
| Category | Typical starting MOQ | What pushes it to the top of the band |
|---|---|---|
| Swimwear — solid colours, 1–2 colourways | 500 pcs / style | Special knit, power mesh panels, custom pad shapes |
| Swimwear — multi-colour or printed | 1,000 pcs / style | Four or more colourways, all-over print |
| Kids’ wear | 500 pcs / style | Three or more colourways, printed panels, safety trims |
| Men’s apparel | 500 pcs / style | Three or more colourways, custom fabric, garment dye |
| Pet clothing | 500 pcs / style | Many sizes multiplied by several colours, plush or waterproof fabric |
| Outdoor and functional wear | 500 pcs / style | Laminated or special fabrics, seam taping, custom hardware |
The MOQ is per style, not per order. Splitting one style into more colours does not reduce the total; it multiplies the fabric minimums. See the categories we produce if you are planning a range across more than one of them.
4. Five ways to lower the effective MOQ
You will not talk a fabric mill below its minimum. What you can do is make the same budget buy less risk:
- Open with a stock fabric. A quality the factory already buys removes the fabric minimum entirely. Keep your own colour for the reorder.
- Reduce colours before styles. One style in two colours opens far more cheaply than one style in five. Your best two colours will outsell the other three anyway.
- Use a size ratio, not an even split. Ask for something like 1:2:3:2:1 across the size range instead of equal quantities. Fewer pieces stuck in the extremes, better cutting efficiency, same total.
- Combine two styles on one fabric and one colour. Two styles sharing a fabric lifts the metres above the mill minimum without adding a colour.
- Plan the reorder before the first drop sells out. The second order skips fabric minimums, sampling and print set-up, and it is always faster and cheaper than the first.
Add the sample fee credit on top of that and the true cost of market-testing a style is much lower than the headline MOQ suggests.
5. Sampling: what you pay and what comes back
Sampling is charged per style, and the fee is normally credited back against the bulk order rather than refunded as cash. That is industry practice, but the details are where buyers get surprised — so put three things in writing before you pay:
- Coverage: how many styles the credit applies to.
- Threshold: the minimum bulk quantity required for the credit to apply.
- Mechanism: whether it is deducted from the bulk invoice or returned as a rebate afterwards.
A proper sampling sequence is not one sample. Expect a fit sample, a corrected sample, a size set (one piece per size — do not skip it, this is where grading problems surface) and a pre-production sample made on the actual bulk fabric and line. Sampling takes 7–14 working days after fabric and trims are confirmed, and two rounds is normal for a first programme.
6. Lead time: the real calendar
A single “45 days” tells you nothing about when to start. This is the sequence, stage by stage, for a first order.
| Stage | Duration | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric and trims confirmed | 1–7 days | How fast your tech pack and target quantity are finalised |
| Sampling | 7–14 working days | Fabric availability; two rounds is normal |
| Sample approval and PO | 1–3 days | Approve against the signed sample, not a photo |
| Bulk fabric arrival | 3–15 days | Stock fabric is immediate; custom dyeing adds two to three weeks |
| Bulk production | ≈ 45 days | Counting from sample approval and fabric in-house |
| Final inspection | 1–3 days | AQL inspection on site, or a third party before the balance |
| Shipping | Sea 7–20 days · Air 3–7 days | Destination, port and mode |
End to end — from confirmed fabric to goods in your warehouse — plan on 2.5 to 3.5 months for a first order. A reorder in the same fabric and colour is significantly faster because sampling, set-up and fabric minimums disappear.
7. Peak-season traps
Two periods break the schedule every year in China, and a third affects your own approvals if you sell in Japan.
| Target arrival | Confirm fabric by | Approve samples by | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| March–April (Japan / EU spring-summer) | September | October–November | Chinese New Year removes two to four weeks from January–February |
| May–July (EU / US summer) | November–December | January | Pre-holiday overload; fabric stock tightens from March |
| September–December (AU spring, holiday) | April–May | June | Summer rush competes for the same capacity; shipping cut-offs come before production cut-offs |
- Chinese New Year — usually late January to mid February. Production slows for two to four weeks, and the two weeks before the holiday are the busiest of the year. Confirm your slot before mid-January.
- The pre-summer rush — roughly March to June. The busiest window for Northern Hemisphere swim and apparel; both capacity and fabric stock run short.
- Golden Week in Japan (late April to early May) — this one does not slow the factory, it slows you. If sample approval needs a decision from a Japanese team, approve before the holiday rather than after it.
8. Payment terms and Incoterms: get them in writing
Payment terms belong in the proforma invoice, not in a chat message. Our standard practice is T/T with a deposit before production and the balance before shipment, with the exact terms and the Incoterm agreed per order. Whichever factory you use, make sure the invoice states:
- Deposit percentage and when it is due, and what it is applied to.
- Balance timing — and specifically whether inspection happens before the balance.
- The Incoterm and the port. FOB means you control the freight forwarder; CIF means the factory arranges freight and insurance; DDP means they handle everything to your door, which is simplest and usually the most expensive.
- Who pays for inspection, and what happens if the AQL inspection fails.
- What happens if the shipment date slips — the remedy, not just the promise.
9. The RFQ template
Most first enquiries are missing three or four facts, which is why the first reply is a list of questions instead of a price. Copy the lines below, fill in what you know, and attach a tech pack, a sketch or three reference photos. A factory that answers all fourteen lines is a factory you can work with.
1. Product: category and style description (attach tech pack, sketch or 3 reference photos) 2. Size range and size ratio, e.g. 90-160 cm, ratio 1:2:2:1 3. Colourways: number of colours, with Pantone numbers 4. Fabric: preferred composition and gsm, or "recommend one for this use" 5. Quantity: pieces per style and pieces per colour 6. Target unit price and FOB port, or "open" 7. Required arrival date and target launch date 8. Samples needed: fit sample / size set / pre-production sample 9. Labels and packaging: hangtag, care label, poly bag, carton mark, barcode 10. Quality: AQL level, third-party inspection yes/no, test reports required 11. Certifications: OEKO-TEX, BSCI, GRS or others 12. Destination market and applicable regulations (Japan / EU / AU / Middle East) 13. Incoterm and payment terms you prefer (FOB / CIF / DDP) 14. Special requirements: recycled material, metal-free, children's safety, etc.
You do not need all fourteen lines to get a first indicative quote. Product, quantity, size range, target arrival date and destination market are enough to start — and you can send it to us at any time.
10. How to compare quotations
A quotation is only comparable if it says the same things. Check that every supplier answers these ten lines, then normalise everything to landed cost per piece before you compare.
| Line in the quotation | Why it changes the decision |
|---|---|
| Fabric specification: composition, gsm, mill, certification | Usually the largest cost and quality variable in the whole quote |
| MOQ per style and per colour | Per-colour minimums are where surprise surcharges appear |
| Unit price and what it includes | Labels, packing and hangtags are often quoted separately |
| Sample fee and the credit rule | Must be written, not verbal |
| Lead time with milestones | A single number hides the risk; ask for sampling, bulk and shipping separately |
| Incoterm and port | Changes your total landed cost more than the unit price does |
| Payment terms and inspection clause | Determines your exposure if something goes wrong |
| AQL level and defect classification | Defines what you are entitled to claim |
| Packaging specification | Poly bag, carton, barcode and carton marks all have a cost |
| Quote validity date | Fabric and freight prices move; an open-ended quote is not a commitment |
11. Red flags in a quotation
- A MOQ with no explanation of which factor sets it.
- No fabric gsm, composition or mill name.
- A sample fee with no stated credit rule.
- A single lead-time number with no milestones.
- No AQL, and no mention of inspection before the balance payment.
- No validity date on the quotation.
- A price well below every other quote at the same specification — check the fabric, the elastic and the trims before you celebrate. If two quotes differ by 30%, they are usually not quoting the same garment.
12. FAQ
What is your MOQ for garment production?
MOQ is 500–1,000 pieces per style for every category we produce — swimwear, kids’ wear, men’s apparel, pet clothing and outdoor wear. Simple single-colour styles start at 500 pieces; multi-colour styles, special fabrics and print set-ups move towards 1,000 pieces.
Can I order fewer than 500 pieces?
Our floor is set by the fabric mill, so a custom programme starts at 500 pieces per style. A smaller test run is only realistic when the style uses a fabric and a trim set we already stock — it is decided case by case, so send us the style and quantity and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible.
Is the sample fee refundable?
Sampling is charged per style and credited back against the bulk order rather than refunded as cash. Ask any factory to confirm in writing how many styles the credit covers, the minimum bulk quantity it applies to, and whether it is deducted from the invoice or paid back as a rebate.
How long does bulk production take?
About 45 days after the sample is approved and the fabric has arrived in the factory. End to end — from confirmed fabric to goods at your warehouse — plan on 2.5 to 3.5 months, including sampling, inspection and shipping.
What happens to lead times in peak season?
Chinese New Year slows production for two to four weeks between late January and mid February, and the weeks before the holiday are overloaded. The March to June summer rush also tightens capacity and fabric stock. Book your production slot before mid-January, or build in one to three weeks of buffer.
What are your payment terms and do you accept third-party inspection?
Typically T/T with a deposit before production and the balance before shipment; the exact terms and the Incoterm (FOB, CIF or DDP) are confirmed in the proforma invoice for each order. Third-party inspection by SGS, BV, Intertek or your own agent is welcome, normally before the balance payment.
Send us the RFQ template and get a real answer
Fill in the lines above, attach a tech pack, a sketch or three reference photos, and we will reply within one working day with fabric options, MOQ, sample fee, sampling time and a production date that fits your launch window.
Request a quote Email us