What is the difference between EXW and DDP when buying chairs from China?

EXW (Ex Works) means you handle all shipping, insurance and import duties from the factory gate, while DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means the factory delivers to your door with duties included. Always compare total landed cost, not the bare factory price.

What is a realistic MOQ for dining chairs from a Chinese factory?

JIANGPIN quotes every model from 6 pieces, so you can test a single pallet before a container. Mixing models in one order reaches the minimum economically, and full-container volumes unlock the lowest per-unit pricing.

How do I verify a Chinese chair factory before paying a deposit?

Request SGS test reports and FSC certification where relevant, confirm export documents, and ask for a factory video tour or third-party audit. Order a sample before bulk production to confirm build quality matches the quote.

How to Negotiate EXW / DDP Price with a Chinese Chair Factory

Published by JIANGPIN · Dining chair manufacturer in Foshan, China

Buying solid wood dining chairs direct from a Chinese factory can cut your landed cost by 30–50% compared with a domestic distributor — but the quote you receive depends as much on the Incoterm as on the chair itself. As a Foshan dining chair manufacturer, JIANGPIN works with buyers every week on both EXW and DDP terms, and the difference between them is exactly where responsibility — and cost — changes hands.

1. EXW vs DDP: who pays for what

Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) define who arranges and pays for freight, insurance and import duty. Under EXW (Ex Works), the factory loads goods at its gate and you handle everything after: inland trucking in China, export clearance, ocean freight, insurance, destination customs and last-mile delivery. Under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), the factory pays for all of that and delivers to your door, duties included.

A DDP quote always looks higher than EXW, but that is not “extra profit” — it bundles services you would otherwise buy separately. Compare them as total landed cost, not factory price. See our commercial restaurant chairs or contact our team for a side-by-side EXW / DDP quote on your shortlist.

2. Why the Incoterm changes your real cost

EXW gives you control: you pick the forwarder, consolidate with other suppliers and sometimes save when you already have a freight partner. But it also exposes you to every surprise — a missed booking, a customs hold, a wrong HS code — with no one to absorb it. DDP shifts that risk to the factory.

For first-time importers or buyers without a logistics team, DDP is usually the lower-stress choice even at a higher headline number. If you plan to mix solid wood chairs with outdoor patio seating in one shipment, ask how the factory prices combined commodity categories under DDP — different materials can change the duty rate.

3. Prepare an RFQ that gets a real number

A vague request (“send me your best price for dining chairs”) returns a vague, inflated number. A strong RFQ lists: chair model or reference photo, target material and finish, quantity per model, destination port and preferred Incoterm. Factories quote faster and tighter when they see you know the category.

Reference our metal-frame chairs or stainless-steel chairs by SKU so the quote maps to a real product rather than a guess. The more specific the brief, the less room there is for a padded fallback price.

4. MOQ, container loads and volume breaks

Most Foshan chair factories, JIANGPIN included, quote every model from a 6-piece MOQ — enough to test one pallet before committing to a container. You can also mix several models in a single order to reach the minimum economically.

The real savings appear at full-container (FCL) volume: per-unit price drops, and under EXW you pay one inland truck to the port instead of many. Browse leisure chairs and bar stools to model how a mixed container fills up against your seating plan, then ask for the FCL break specifically.

5. Red flags and verification before you pay

Before any deposit, verify the supplier. Ask for SGS test reports (load, finish, flame retardancy where required) and FSC chain-of-custody if you sell into markets that demand it. A legitimate factory will also welcome a video call or third-party audit.

Our restaurant chair range ships against documented QA, and you can request a sample before bulk production to confirm construction and finish match the quote. If a supplier refuses documentation or pushes full payment up front, that is a signal to walk away.

6. Closing the deal: payment and lead time

Typical terms are 30% deposit with the proforma invoice and 70% against a bill of lading copy, though DDP programmes may differ. Lock the price in writing and confirm the lead time — usually 15–25 days after sample approval for in-stock designs.

Bring a clear plan to the table: your wood species, volumes and destination. When the factory sees a serious order, the conversation shifts from price defence to finding the right configuration — and that is where the best EXW / DDP number comes from.

Conclusion

Negotiating with a Chinese chair factory is less about haggling and more about structuring the deal: pick the right Incoterm, send a precise RFQ, verify the supplier and confirm terms in writing. JIANGPIN supports both EXW and DDP, 6-piece MOQs and OEM / ODM customization — request a quote with your model list and destination and we will return a transparent landed-cost breakdown.