Two suppliers can quote the same scooter at the same FOB number and still differ by a few hundred dollars a container, because the four cost lines below the unit price are where the difference hides.
Free On Board means the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port, and the buyer pays from that point. For this range the named port is Tianjin. In practice FOB Tianjin includes production, packing, inland trucking to the terminal, export customs clearance and the terminal handling charge up to loading. It excludes ocean freight, insurance, destination charges and import duty.
| Line | Who pays under FOB | Rough scale for a 40HQ of scooters |
|---|---|---|
| Unit production cost | Seller | The bulk of the price |
| Cartons and print | Seller | USD 0.6-1.4 per carton, depending on flute and colours |
| Inland trucking to Tianjin | Seller | USD 350-550 per 40HQ from the Xingtai area |
| Export clearance and docs | Seller | USD 120-250 per shipment |
| Terminal handling (THC) | Seller | USD 150-260 per 40HQ |
| Ocean freight | Buyer | Market rate, quoted by your forwarder |
| Insurance | Buyer | Typically 0.2-0.5% of CIF value |
| Destination THC and delivery | Buyer | Quoted by your forwarder |
The ranges above are indicative and move with diesel, port congestion and season. What matters is the principle: under FOB, the seller's exposure ends when the container is on board, so anything that happens on the water is a conversation with your forwarder, not with the factory.
Our default quote is FOB Tianjin because it keeps the ocean leg transparent. If you would rather have CIF for a first shipment, ask — we will quote it with the freight broken out separately so you can see what the convenience costs.
Take a 200-piece launch across four shells — V6333, V606, V1911 and V1567. That is 80 cartons at 0.139-0.141 CBM, or roughly 11 CBM — a fifth of a 40HQ, and enough to trigger a groupage option or to be topped up with a second category from the same cluster. Ask for the CBM total with the quote and this calculation takes two minutes instead of two weeks.
Straight answers to what buyers ask before the first order.
Production, packing, inland trucking from the works to Tianjin, Chinese export clearance, terminal handling and loading on board. It excludes ocean freight, insurance, destination charges and import duty.
FOB keeps the ocean leg transparent and lets you shop freight. CIF is convenient but the freight is usually marked up. Ask for both with freight broken out and compare.
About 4,600 pieces — 460 to 465 cartons at 10 pieces each, at 0.139-0.141 CBM per carton.
50 pieces per model. A 200-piece order across four models is about 11 CBM, which either goes by groupage or tops up a container with a second category.
Your forwarder books it; we coordinate the truck and the loading crew at the works. If you have no forwarder yet we can introduce one that runs the Tianjin route regularly.
Send the models and quantity you have in mind. You get carton size, CBM, gross weight and FOB Tianjin price in writing, usually within one working day.