Compare China supplier quotes.
A CNY 10 unit price can cost more than CNY 11. Here is why.
Worked example · fictional data, not a client project
The same order. Different quoted totals.
100 pieces of the same 24 cm matte-white stoneware vase. CNY. EXW Guangzhou. Product and protective packing only.
| Supplier | Unit price | Packing | Product + packing |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 10.00 | 200 | 1,200 |
| B | 11.00 | Included | 1,100 |
| C | 9.50 | Not quoted | Cannot compare yet |
B is CNY 100 lower than A for this quoted scope. C cannot be compared yet because its packing cost is missing.
Not landed cost. Freight, duties, taxes and other unquoted costs are excluded. Price alone does not approve a supplier.
First tab: Worked example. Second tab: Blank template for your own project.
Make the offers comparable first.
A lower unit price is not necessarily a lower price for the same order. A different material, quantity break, pack format or delivery scope changes what you are buying. Send the same brief to each supplier and keep deviations visible.
The fields to align before comparing prices
The lower unit price is not always the lower quoted cost.
100 pieces of the same 24 cm matte-white stoneware vase. CNY. EXW Guangzhou. Product and protective packing only.
B is CNY 100 lower than A for this quoted scope. C cannot be compared yet because its packing cost is missing.
Not landed cost. Freight, duties, taxes and other unquoted costs are excluded. Price alone does not approve a supplier.
Fictional teaching example. Not a client project, supplier offer or purchasing recommendation.
| Buying basis | Ask each supplier to state | What can change the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Product & revision | Model, drawing or specification version, material and finish | A cheaper alternative may not meet the same requirement. |
| Quantity & unit | Order quantity, unit of sale and minimum by design or colour | A piece, set, carton or metre is not an interchangeable unit. |
| Packing | Retail pack, accessories, carton quantities and protective packing | Excluded packaging can change both cost and shipment size. |
| Currency & delivery | Currency, delivery rule, named place and included transport | Factory collection and delivery to a destination have different scopes. |
| One-off charges | Tooling, development, setup and sample charges separately | Do not bury one-off costs in the repeat unit price. |
| Timing & validity | Sample timing, production timing, start condition and quote validity | A quoted lead time is not a booked production or delivery date. |
For delivery terminology, the U.S. International Trade Administration's Incoterms overview explains why the rule and named place matter. Record the agreed scope explicitly. A delivery rule does not replace the rest of the commercial agreement.
Resolve the differences before ranking suppliers.
- 01
Keep the original offer
Record the supplier's actual quotation and evidence link. Put your comparison notes alongside it rather than silently changing its terms.
- 02
Separate known and missing
A confirmed zero charge is different from an unanswered question. If currencies or delivery scopes differ, resolve them before treating totals as comparable.
- 03
Recommend the next decision
Consider specification fit, samples, payment exposure, manufacturing evidence and open issues alongside price. Record why a supplier proceeds, needs clarification or is held.
Compare three suppliers on one sheet.
Your own project
Supplier quotation comparison
See how packing changes a price comparison, then use the blank sheet with your own supplier quotations.
First tab: Worked example. Second tab: Blank template for your own project.
Should I divide tooling across the first order?
Keep the original tooling charge separate first. An allocated per-unit figure can help evaluate a stated order scenario, but it should not be mistaken for a supplier's repeat unit price. Confirm ownership, change responsibility and any reuse conditions separately.
The template is a comparison aid, not a supplier rating or a recommendation to place an order. It does not assume that an empty cost cell is a confirmed zero.