# RFQ email template Chinese factory: how to write messages factories actually answer

A factory sales rep triages many inquiries a day. Most get a quick glance: the subject line, a skim of the first lines, and a decision. Quote it, park it, or ignore it. The difference between the RFQs that get answered and the ones that die in the inbox is rarely the product. It is the email. A good RFQ email template Chinese factory reps can act on immediately goes to the top of the pile. A vague one goes to the bottom, where it stays.

This article gives you the structure that gets replies, three templates you can copy and adapt, and the mistakes that mark an inquiry as amateur. Every RFQ email template Chinese factory guidance here works whether you are writing directly or briefing an agent to write for you.

What makes a factory reply to an RFQ email template Chinese factory inquiry

Before the templates, the psychology. Understanding what the rep on the other end needs will improve every RFQ you ever send.

The rep wants to convert inquiries into orders with minimum back-and-forth. An RFQ with complete information can be quoted in one pass: specs clear, quantities stated, terms defined. An RFQ with gaps requires a round of clarifying questions, and the rep has other inquiries that do not. Guess which one gets quoted first. Completeness is not politeness. It is triage survival. This is the first principle behind any RFQ email template Chinese factory staff will prioritize: make quoting effortless.

The rep also needs to know you are real. Factories get flooded with inquiries from buyers who will never order: students doing research, competitors fishing for prices, dreamers with no budget. A strong RFQ email template Chinese factory reps trust signals seriousness: specific quantities rather than "what is your MOQ," a target price that shows you know the market, a timeline, and a company name with a website. The RFQs that read like they come from a buyer with a purchase order coming get treated like it.

Finally, the rep needs the email to be quotable as written. If your specs live in an attachment the rep has to open, a link they have to click, and a paragraph they have to decode, you have added friction at every step. Every RFQ email template Chinese factory staff can quote without opening attachments wins: put the essential facts in the body of the email. Attachments are for drawings and reference photos, not for the core ask.

The anatomy of a reply-getting RFQ email template Chinese factory managers respond to

Every effective RFQ has the same five parts. Get these right and the templates below almost write themselves.

The subject line carries the decision. Include the product, the quantity, and the word RFQ or Quotation Request. "RFQ: 5,000 pcs silicone phone cases, EXW" tells the rep everything in one glance. Vague subjects like "Inquiry" or "Hello from USA" tell them nothing, and nothing gets ignored. If you have a PO or reference number, put it in the subject from the second message onward. One thread per order, always.

The opening is two sentences. Who you are, what you want. "I am [name] from [company], we sell [product category] in [market]. We are looking for a factory to produce [product] for our next order." That is enough. Do not write your company history. Do not explain your vision. The rep does not need your story. They need your specs.

The product section is the heart of any RFQ email template Chinese factory quoting teams see. Materials, dimensions with tolerances, colors with Pantone references where color matters, functions, packaging requirements, labeling needs. This is the product spec sheet in email form: the single source of truth that prevents misunderstandings later. If you have a full spec sheet as a document, attach it, but still summarize the key points in the body. The summary is what gets quoted. The attachment is what gets checked.

The commercial section answers the rep's real questions, and it is where an RFQ email template Chinese factory version separates serious buyers from tire-kickers. Target price or price range, expected order quantity and MOQ expectations, certifications needed for your market, required timeline, preferred Incoterms, and payment terms you can offer. The target price deserves emphasis: buyers who hide their target price thinking it gives them leverage usually get quoted high, because the rep prices in the unknown. A realistic target price focuses the factory on meeting it instead of guessing it.

The close makes replying easy, and it is the most-skipped part of every RFQ email template Chinese factory reps receive. State exactly what you want back and when: "Please send your quotation with unit price EXW, lead time, and MOQ by [date]." Give a direct contact: name, email, WhatsApp or WeChat if you use them. Thank them in one line. Keep the whole email concise: if it feels long, something in it does not need to be there.

Template 1: first-contact RFQ email template Chinese factory version

This is the workhorse. Use it for the first message to any new factory. It follows the anatomy above exactly.

``` Subject: RFQ: 3,000 pcs stainless steel water bottles, FOB

Dear [Factory Name / Sales Manager Name],

I am [Your Name] from [Company Name], we sell drinkware in [your market, e.g. the US]. We are looking for a factory to produce a stainless steel water bottle for our upcoming order.

Product specifications: - Material: 304 stainless steel, single wall - Capacity: 750 ml - Dimensions: approx. 26 cm height x 7.3 cm diameter (tolerance +/- 0.5 cm) - Finish: matte powder coating, black (Pantone Black C) - Lid: screw cap with silicone seal, BPA free - Logo: laser engraved, artwork attached - Packaging: individual white box, 24 pcs per master carton

Commercial terms: - Quantity: 3,000 pcs first order, repeat orders expected quarterly - Target price: please quote your best FOB price; our target is under $[X]/pc - Certifications needed: FDA food-contact compliance for the US market - Timeline: samples within 3 weeks, production within 35 days of sample approval - Payment: 30% deposit, 70% before shipment by T/T

Please reply with your unit price (FOB), lead time, MOQ, and sample cost and lead time by [date]. Reference photos and logo artwork are attached.

Thank you, [Your Name] [Title], [Company Name] [Email] | [Phone/WeChat] [Company website] ```

Why this works: the rep can quote it without asking a single clarifying question. Every blank the factory needs filled is filled. The target price is stated, which anchors the negotiation instead of inviting a padded quote. The timeline is realistic. And the email is short enough to read quickly. That is the whole promise of a good RFQ email template Chinese factory teams receive: zero clarifying questions needed.

Template 2: revised quote request RFQ email template Chinese factory follow-up

You sent RFQs to five factories. Three replied. Now you need comparable numbers. This follow-up gets you apples-to-apples quotes instead of five differently-structured guesses.

``` Subject: Re: RFQ water bottles - revised specifications for final quote

Dear [Name],

Thank you for your quotation of [date]. To compare offers fairly, please requote on the following exact terms:

- Incoterms: FOB [port, e.g. Shenzhen] (please also quote EXW separately) - Quantity: 3,000 pcs - Packaging: individual white box included in unit price (please confirm) - Certifications: FDA food-contact testing included (please confirm, or quote testing cost separately) - Payment: 30% deposit, 70% before shipment - Lead time: days from sample approval to shipment-ready

Please also confirm: 1. Sample cost and sample lead time 2. Your MOQ for this product 3. Whether the unit price includes the laser-engraved logo

We plan to confirm the factory by [date]. Thank you.

Best regards, [Your Name] ```

The power move here is normalization. The cheapest quote often excludes what others include: packaging, testing, the logo. Forcing every factory onto identical terms exposes the real price. Ask explicitly what is included and what is not. The factory that answers precisely is usually the factory you want.

Template 3: sample request

Samples are where money gets wasted quietly. This template keeps the sample stage tight and makes the sample useful as a future reference.

``` Subject: Sample request: stainless steel water bottle (RFQ of [date])

Dear [Name],

We would like to proceed with samples based on your quotation.

Please produce 3 sample units to the specifications in our RFQ, with the laser-engraved logo as per the attached artwork. Please confirm:

1. Sample cost and whether it is deductible from the first order 2. Sample lead time 3. Courier cost to [your city/country], or your FedEx/DHL account details for collect shipment

Once approved, we will keep one unit as the sealed reference sample for production QC. Please keep one sealed unit at your factory as well.

Thank you, [Your Name] ```

Two details matter here. First, asking whether the sample cost is deductible from the order: some factories credit it, but only if you ask. Second, the sealed reference sample instruction, which turns this RFQ email template Chinese factory sample request into future QC protection. Stating it now, before production, means there is no argument later about what "approved quality" means. The sealed sample becomes the single source of truth for every inspection that follows.

Mistakes that get your RFQ email template Chinese factory inquiry ignored

Even a perfect template can be sunk by these habits.

Sending to info@ addresses with no name. Find the sales manager's name. Alibaba and Made-in-China listings usually show a contact. A named email gets opened. A generic one gets triaged by whoever is least busy, which is nobody.

Leading with "what is your best price" and nothing else. Price without specs is meaningless, and reps know it. The buyer who leads with price signals that they will choose on price alone, which tells the factory to quote the cheapest possible version of the product. You will get a low number and a nasty surprise.

Hiding that you are small. A 500-piece inquiry dressed up as a 50,000-piece opportunity wastes everyone's time and destroys trust when the real PO arrives. State your real quantity. Factories that do low-MOQ work exist, especially on 1688 and in the wholesale markets. The factory that finds out you exaggerated will not quote you again.

Attaching a 10 MB catalog instead of writing specs. Nobody opens it. Write the key facts in the email body. Attachments support the email. They are not the email.

Following up aggressively after a day or two. Polite persistence wins; impatience loses. Give a first RFQ about a week, then follow up once with added value: a restated deadline, a narrowed spec, a question that moves things forward. The rep who has not replied after a follow-up or two is either overloaded or not interested. One good follow-up distinguishes the two. Five follow-ups just annoy.

Conclusion

The RFQ email template Chinese factory reps actually answer is not clever. It is complete: a subject line with product and quantity, a two-sentence introduction, specs with materials and tolerances, commercial terms with a real target price, and a close that says exactly what you want back and when. Normalize quotes across factories before comparing, keep samples tight with a sealed reference from the start, and follow up with patience and substance. Factories do not ignore serious buyers with clear RFQs. Make every RFQ read like it comes from one, and the replies will follow.

Frequently asked questions

### How long should an RFQ email to a Chinese factory be?

Short enough to read in a couple of minutes, with key specs summarized inline and details in attachments. That length is part of what makes an RFQ email template Chinese factory reps actually read: long enough to quote without clarifying questions, short enough to read quickly. If the rep has to ask what you meant, the RFQ was too vague or too long.

### Should I include a target price in my RFQ?

Yes. A realistic target price anchors the negotiation and gets you a focused quote. Hiding it usually produces a padded quote, because the factory prices in the unknown. State the target, the quantity behind it, and let the factory respond to something concrete.

### How many factories should I send an RFQ to?

A handful for a standard product: enough for comparison and leverage, few enough that you can evaluate the replies properly. The goal is comparable quotes on identical terms, not a bidding war across a long list of suppliers.

### What do I do if no factory replies to my RFQ?

First check the RFQ itself: vague specs, no quantity, no target price, and generic subject lines are the usual causes. Rewrite it using the anatomy in this RFQ email template Chinese factory guide and resend. Then follow up once after about a week. If there is still silence, the product may need a different channel: 1688, wholesale markets, or an agent with a network in the category.

### Should the RFQ mention certifications?

Always, when your market requires them. State which certifications you need, FDA, CE, CPSIA, whatever applies, and ask whether testing is included in the price or quoted separately. A quote without testing included is not comparable to one with it, and finding out later is expensive.