How to Read a Slipper Quotation from a China Factory

You send an inquiry. The factory replies with a quotation. Somewhere in that PDF or WhatsApp message is the real cost of your order — and somewhere else is a number that looks like the answer but isn't. Reading a quotation correctly isn't about understanding the math. It's about understanding what's included, what's missing, and what the factory assumes you already know. Here's how to read one — line by line.

The First Number You See Is Usually FOB

FOB — Free On Board — means the unit price includes production plus delivery to the port and loading onto the vessel. It does not include sea freight. It does not include insurance. It does not include destination port charges, customs duties, or inland transport from your port to your warehouse.

When a quotation says "$0.65 per pair FOB Shenzhen," that's the price per pair delivered to the vessel in Shenzhen. Everything after that vessel leaves the port is your cost, not the factory's. This is the most common quotation format for slipper exports because it draws a clean line: factory responsibility ends at the ship. Yours begins.

Some Quotes Say EXW — and That's Different

EXW — Ex Works — means the unit price covers production only. The goods are available at the factory gate. Loading them onto a truck, transporting them to the port, clearing customs, and loading onto the vessel are all your responsibility.

An EXW quote looks cheaper on paper — typically $0.05 to $0.15 lower per pair than the same product quoted FOB. That's not a discount. That's the cost of logistics removed from the quote and transferred to you. If you have a freight forwarder who can handle factory-to-port transport at a better rate than the factory's default, EXW can save you money. If you don't, the "cheaper" EXW quote becomes more expensive once you add the logistics you now need to arrange.

When comparing two suppliers, make sure you're comparing the same trade term. An EXW quote next to an FOB quote is not a fair comparison. The EXW number is smaller. The total cost may not be.

The Numbers After the Unit Price

A proper slipper quotation includes more than a per-pair price. Here's what else should be on the page — and what each line actually means.

Mold fee. If you're ordering a custom design, there's a mold cost. $300 to $800 per mold, depending on complexity and cavity count. This is a one-time fee. It should be listed separately, not buried in the unit price. If the quotation doesn't mention a mold fee and you're ordering a custom design, ask whether it's included or whether there's no mold because you're ordering an existing design. Either answer is fine. No answer is not.

Sample fee. Pre-production samples — 3 to 5 pairs made to your specification — typically cost $20 to $50 per set. Some factories credit this back against your production order. The quotation should state whether the sample fee is one-time or credited. If it's not stated, ask.

Packaging. Standard packaging — polybag only — is usually included in the unit price. If you want printed polybags with your logo, hangtags, custom cartons, or individual boxes, those are additional. The per-pair increase should be listed. If the quotation doesn't specify what packaging is included, assume the cheapest option.

Logo setup. Screen printing or embossing your logo requires a setup — a printing screen or a mold insert. This is a small one-time cost, typically under $100. Some factories include it. Some charge separately. If the quotation mentions your logo but doesn't list a setup fee, confirm whether it's included or whether the factory plans to add it later.

Color matching. Standard colors from the factory's existing palette carry no extra charge. Custom Pantone-matched colors may carry a color-matching fee per shade — typically small per color but it adds up across three or four custom shades.

What a Quotation Often Doesn't Include

Most slipper quotations cover production, packaging, and factory-to-port logistics under the stated trade term. They do not cover: sea freight, marine insurance, destination port charges, customs duties, import taxes, or inland transport from port to your warehouse.

A quotation that includes sea freight is called CIF — Cost, Insurance, and Freight. CIF quotes bundle the factory price plus shipping to your destination port. They're convenient for first-time importers but harder to compare because the freight component varies by route, season, and the factory's shipping agent. For accurate supplier comparison, ask for FOB pricing and handle freight separately with your own forwarder.

Ask for a Breakdown, Not a Single Number

A quotation that's one number in a WhatsApp message — "PVC flip flops, $0.58" — is not a quotation. It's a conversation starter. Ask for the breakdown. A supplier who provides it clearly understands their costs. One who can't either doesn't understand them or doesn't want you to.

The Quickest Way to Compare Two Quotes

Take both quotations. Strip out anything that isn't the unit price under the same trade term — make sure both are FOB, or both are EXW. Then add back the one-time costs: mold, logo setup, color matching. Divide by your order quantity to get the total per-pair cost at the factory gate or port.

Don't compare the unit prices. Compare the total per-pair cost after all one-time fees are amortized across your order quantity. A supplier with a higher unit price but no mold fee — because the mold exists — may be cheaper overall than a supplier with a lower unit price and a new mold. The quotation that looks more expensive on line one is sometimes cheaper at the bottom line.

Written by Guangdong Chongdi Slippers Factory, Wuchuan, China. We send quotations every day. We've seen the ones that confuse importers — so we write ours to be understood.