Choosing a supplier is a different question from choosing a product. A supplier has to hold the size you need when you need it, pack it so it arrives undamaged, and give you documents that match the shipment. Those three things fail more often than the board itself does.
Supply terms
| Question to ask | Good answer | Warning sign |
|---|
| Which sizes are in stock? | A list with quantities | Everything is available immediately |
| How are bundles packed? | Strapped, wrapped, labelled | Loose in the container |
| What is the MOQ? | A number per size | No minimum at all |
| Which incoterm? | A stated term and port | Will be arranged later |
| Sample lead time | 3-5 working days | Sample after the order |
Stock, or made to order
A supplier who stocks common sizes can ship in days, which matters when a production line is waiting. A supplier who runs to order gives you a custom size at a better price but with a lead time. Most buyers need both, and the useful question is which sizes are held and which are run.
Ask for the stock list rather than accepting a general claim of availability. A size that has to be produced is not stock, however fast the production is.
Packing that survives the container
Edge protection is bulky and light, so it is easily crushed in a container by heavier cargo behind it. Bundles should be strapped, wrapped and loaded so they are not the last thing against the doors. A supplier who has shipped this product knows that and plans the loading.
Ask how bundles are labelled. A container with four sizes and no labels becomes a sorting job at the destination warehouse, and the labour usually costs more than the board.
Documents and terms
Confirm the incoterm, the port and who arranges the booking before the order, not after production. Paper products are light for their volume, so freight is often a larger share of the landed cost than the board itself, and a small change in terms moves the total.
Ask what the commercial invoice will state, and check that the description matches what you will declare. A vague description can hold up a customs entry on a product that is not regulated at all.
Where a buyer uses a forwarder rather than the supplier booking, agree in writing who pays the origin charges and who releases the telex. Most first orders that go wrong go wrong at that handover rather than at the factory, and it costs a week of production time to correct.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Do you hold stock of common sizes?
Common sizes are run regularly; ask for the current list rather than assuming stock.
What is the MOQ?
3,000 meters per size, with mixed sizes counted together.
Can you ship a mixed container?
Yes, typically two or three sizes, bundled and labelled by length.
Which incoterms do you work on?
FOB and CIF are the usual terms. Confirm the port with the enquiry.
How are samples handled?
Free on stock grades, courier cost at your account, 3-5 working days.
For a specification sheet, post the load weight, pallet footprint and band type to mona@hengnicepacking.com; we reply with a drawing and price.
