MOQ, Lead Time & Shipping

Our minimum is 100 m² or 1 tonne — roughly 350 kg of 3 mm acrylic. Here is what that means in weight, time, cost and packing.

Most Chinese sheet manufacturers will not talk to you below a full container. We start at 100 m² or 1 tonne. This page sets out exactly what that means, what it costs to ship, and how long it takes — before you send an enquiry, not after.

Minimum order quantity

Our MOQ is 100 m² or 1 tonne, whichever suits the order. We apply whichever measure is more favourable to you: thin sheet is easier to reach by area, thick sheet by weight.

To put 100 m² in perspective:

Material & thickness	100 m² weighs about	Standard sheets (1220 × 2440 mm)
Acrylic, 3 mm	350 kg	34 sheets
Polycarbonate solid, 3 mm	360 kg	34 sheets
Polycarbonate solid, 5 mm	600 kg	34 sheets
Multiwall polycarbonate, 6 mm	130 kg	34 sheets

A 350 kg trial order occupies a fraction of a 20-foot container. That is the whole point: you can test the material, the tolerances and our responsiveness on a pallet, then scale to containers once your customers confirm.

Why we can hold a low minimum when others cannot

We extrude our own sheet on seven production lines with 20,000 tonnes of annual capacity. A trial pallet runs on the same line as a 40-tonne order — we are not buying stock from a third party and marking it up, so a small order does not break a supply chain. Traders who buy from mills have to meet the mill’s minimum before they can quote you at all.

Lead time

Order type	Production lead time
Standard sizes, stock colours (clear, opal, grey, brown)	7–10 days
Non-standard thickness or width	12–18 days
Custom colour matching	15–20 days
CNC cut-to-size or formed parts	Add 3–7 days to the above

Lead time starts when the deposit clears and the specification is frozen — not when the enquiry arrives. If a drawing changes after production starts, the clock restarts, so it is worth getting the DXF right before you sign off.

Incoterms and pricing

All quotations are issued in USD. We quote on three terms and will tell you which one is cheapest for your destination rather than defaulting to the one that is easiest for us:

FOB (Shanghai or Ningbo) — you control the freight. Best if you already have a forwarder and consolidate with other suppliers.
CIF — we arrange sea freight and insurance to your port. You handle customs clearance and inland delivery.
DDP — delivered, duties paid, to your door. Simplest, and usually the right choice for a first order while you are still evaluating us.

Payment terms are 30% deposit with the balance against the copy bill of lading. For repeat customers we review terms after the third order.

Shipping

We ship to more than 30 countries. Sea freight is the default for anything above 300 kg; air freight is available for samples and urgent replacement parts.

Destination	Typical sea transit from Shanghai
UK & Northern Europe	30–38 days
US West Coast	18–25 days
US East Coast	30–36 days
Australia	18–24 days
Middle East	18–24 days

Transit times are carrier schedules, not promises — port congestion moves them. We give you the booking reference so you can track the vessel yourself.

How sheet is packed

Sheet ships with protective film on both faces, interleaved and strapped to fumigated wooden pallets, edge-protected and corner-boarded. Cut parts are individually filmed and boxed. Damage in transit is rare; when it happens, photograph the pallet before it leaves the dock — that is what the insurer will ask for.

Samples

A4 sample pieces of any standard grade are free; you pay the courier. Samples of custom colours or non-standard constructions are charged at cost and credited against your first order.

What we need from you to quote

Material and grade — or describe the application and we will recommend one
Thickness, sheet size or finished part dimensions
Colour and surface (clear, opal, frosted, textured, UV-coated, hard-coated)
Quantity in m² or tonnes
Destination port or delivery address
Any drawing — DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES or PDF

Items 1–4 are enough for an indicative price. All six get you a firm quotation, usually within one working day.

Request a quote

Questions buyers ask

What is 100 m² in real terms?

100 m² of 3 mm acrylic weighs about 350 kg — roughly 34 standard 1220 × 2440 mm sheets, and a fraction of a 20-foot container. In 5 mm polycarbonate the same area is about 600 kg.

Why do most Chinese factories demand a full container?

Because most of them are trading companies buying from a mill, and the mill sets the minimum. We extrude our own sheet, so a trial pallet runs on the same line as a 40-tonne order and costs us little to schedule.

Which incoterm should I choose for a first order?

DDP, in most cases. It is delivered and duties paid, so there are no surprises while you are still evaluating us. Move to FOB once you have a forwarder and are consolidating with other suppliers — that is usually the cheapest route at volume.

What are your payment terms?

30% deposit with the balance against copy bill of lading. Terms are reviewed after the third order, once a trading history exists.

How is sheet packed for sea freight?

Protective film on both faces, interleaved, strapped to fumigated wooden pallets with edge protection and corner boards. Cut parts are individually filmed and boxed. Photograph any damaged pallet before it leaves the dock — that is what the insurer will ask for.

Do lead times start when I send the order?

They start when the deposit clears and the specification is frozen. If a drawing changes after production begins the clock restarts, so it is worth finalising the DXF before signing off.

From the factory