First container of wall panels from China? This is the practical brief we send new importers — quantities, packing, timelines and paperwork, with the numbers you need for a landed-cost calculation.
MOQ: Think in Containers, Not Panels
Sea freight makes the container the natural order unit. Our MOQ for stock patterns and colors is one full container — and it can be mixed: several patterns and colors in one 40’HQ is normal for a first order testing a market. Custom RAL colors also start from a single container, because a color run has setup costs that smaller volumes can’t carry. Below one container we can quote LCL for sample orders, but the freight-per-square-meter rarely makes commercial sense.
Container Math
Rule of thumb for standard 3800 × 380 × 16 mm panels: a 40’HQ takes roughly 3,000 m² including a sensible share of trims and accessories; a 20’GP takes roughly 1,400 m². Weight is never the limit — 3,000 m² of panels is only about 12 tonnes — the box cubes out long before it weighs out. Order trims at 8–12% of panel area for typical residential elevations; running out of corners mid-project is the classic first-order mistake.
Lead Times
Stock patterns in catalog colors: 7–15 days from deposit to loaded container. Custom colors: add about a week for color matching and your approval of sealed samples. Ocean transit is whatever your lane says — 12–35 days for most destinations. A realistic first-order calendar from inquiry to goods in your warehouse is 6–9 weeks; reorders are faster because the color recipe and documents are already locked.
Packing That Survives the Voyage
Panels travel film-wrapped in bundles with foam corner protectors and strapping, sized so a standard forklift unloads them at your end. Palletizing is available where ports require it. We photograph the loading and tally bundles against the packing list — the photos travel with the B/L so any dispute is settled by pictures, not memories.
Documents and Payment
Standard set: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and certificate of origin (including Form A / Form E and other preferential certificates where your market qualifies — worth checking, the duty difference can be several percent). Payment is typically 30% deposit with order, balance against B/L copy. For OEM programs we add your labels and inserts at packing with no change to the paperwork flow.
The Short Checklist
- Pick patterns/colors from the catalog or send RAL references
- Size the order in containers; mix patterns freely within one box
- Add 8–12% trims and the fixing screws
- Confirm fire-class requirements for your market before ordering
- Ask for FOB and CIF against your destination port — we quote both within 24 h
Send your port and a rough quantity to jinhaofeng298@163.com or WhatsApp +86 186 1558 6932 and we’ll return the numbers that finish your landed-cost sheet.