Delivery is where custom metal fabrication projects most often fail: a deadline is promised, then missed, and no single person owns the reason. This page states the terms we ship on, the lead times we commit to, how parts are protected for transit, and how a delivery can be traced back to the batch that made it.
Incoterms 2020: what each term commits us to
Incoterms are published by the International Chamber of Commerce. Each term settles three questions only: who books and pays the main carriage, who clears the goods for import and pays duty, and the exact point where risk passes from seller to buyer. We name the term and the place on every quotation.
| Term | Main carriage paid by | Import clearance & duty | Insurance | Risk transfers | With us |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW — Ex Works (our premises) | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer’s choice | At our factory floor in Nanpi | Quoted as standard |
| FCA — Free Carrier (named place) | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer’s choice | Into the buyer’s carrier at the named place | Quoted as standard |
| FOB — Free on Board (named port) | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer’s choice | Once loaded on board the vessel | Quoted as standard |
| CFR — Cost and Freight (named port) | Us, to the destination port | Buyer | Buyer’s choice | On board at the port of shipment | Available on request |
| CIF — Cost, Insurance and Freight (named port) | Us, to the destination port | Buyer | Us, minimum cover | On board at the port of shipment | Available on request |
| DAP — Delivered at Place (named destination) | Us, to the named destination | Buyer | Us, in transit | At the named destination, ready to unload | Available on request |
| DDP — Delivered Duty Paid (named destination) | Us, to the named destination | Us | Us, in transit | At the named destination, cleared | Available on request |
Two distinctions that prevent most arguments
FOB, CFR and CIF are sea and inland-waterway terms only. A prototype sent by courier belongs under FCA, DAP or DDP. Under CFR and CIF the seller pays freight to the destination port but risk ends on board at origin — the buyer owns the sea voyage. That is why the term is written on the quotation instead of being assumed.
Lead times, and what they are based on
| Stage | Our commitment | Published evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Rough quote | Inside 8 hours of the drawing | A manufacturable price the same day, before you pay for tooling |
| Samples | 72 hours | Laser-cut and bent prototype samples on a dedicated sample line |
| Mass production | Stated on every quotation | 200 metal cabinets delivered in 35 days — one week ahead of the customer’s plan |
| Recovery of a slipped schedule | Re-quote and re-plan in-house | An eight-week import lead time cut to three weeks on one project |
| Urgent orders | Can run on a 24-hour production schedule | Three shifts, not three suppliers |
| After-sales response | Within 8 hours of any issue raised after delivery | One named contact, from quote to delivery |
There is no fixed minimum order quantity, so prototyping starts from a single piece and volume runs on the same lines — the lead time you are quoted for production is the lead time your samples were made at.
How parts are protected for transit
After inspection, parts move to the packaging and shipping area for protective packaging, labelling and boxing, and then into traceable shipping. Metal parts are judged on their surface, so they are packed to protect the finish they were made to:
- Stainless and aluminium with a brushed or polished finish — interleaved and wrapped so faces cannot contact each other; the visible surface is the one that gets the protection.
- Welded and machined assemblies — supported at the load path, not at the thin wall, so nothing flexes in transit.
- Export-grade outer packaging sized to part weight and transport mode, with wood packaging heat-treated and marked where timber is used.
- Marking — order number, part number, quantity and handling marks on every carton, tied to the packing list.
Documents that ship with the order
| Document | Status | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Every shipment | Declared value for customs entry |
| Packing list | Every shipment | Matches cartons to order lines |
| Certificate of conformity | Every shipment | Declares the goods against the agreed specification |
| Bill of lading (sea) / air waybill (air) / courier tracking | Carrier-issued, copy to you | Proof of handover |
| Dimensional and inspection records | Filed per batch, available on request | The report reflects the parts you receive, not the drawing they came from |
| Material certificate | On request | Confirms grade and batch |
| Certificate of origin | On request | Where your entry requires it |
Your customs broker confirms the exact document list for your entry, as requirements vary by market and product.
Traceability: the batch number follows the part
The batch number follows the part from the material rack to the packed carton. Incoming material is verified against your grade requirements, checks run at forming, cutting and welding stages, dimensions are inspected against your drawing tolerances, and final inspection and export-grade packaging happen before shipment. Results are filed per batch, so any delivery can be traced back to the material and the shift that produced it — which is what makes a claim about a shipment answerable instead of arguable.
Progress reporting and split shipments
- Before production — the business team establishes the usage scenario and states what the drawing will and will not do at the process chosen.
- During production — active photos and video keep track of progress, so you see the batch rather than a status email.
- Before shipment — your own inspector or a third-party inspection is welcome at the factory before the goods leave.
- Split shipments — Yes — split shipments across several dates are standard practice. Each batch passes the same inspection checks and ships with its own document set.
- After delivery — any issue raised is answered within 8 hours.
Where your goods ship from
Manufacturing is in Nanpi County, Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, located between Beijing and Tianjin, which gives convenient export logistics to the ports those cities serve. Around 85% of annual output is exported, parts have shipped to over 100 countries, and the factory has delivered custom metal parts since 1999.
Frequently asked questions
Which Incoterm should I buy on?
Buy FCA or FOB if you have your own forwarder and want the freight cost visible. Buy DDP if you want one delivered number and no customs entry of your own. If this is your first import, DAP with your own broker is usually the clearest split: we deliver, you clear.
Why is your DDP price higher than another supplier’s EXW price?
Because they are not the same purchase. A DDP price contains freight, insurance, import clearance, duty and taxes that an EXW price leaves to you. Compare quotes only when the term, the named place, the material grade, the finishing, the packaging and the quantity are identical.
Can you deliver on a date my line depends on?
Tell us the date you need parts at the quotation stage. Every quotation states a confirmed schedule, and urgent orders can run on a 24-hour production schedule. On a 200-cabinet order the schedule held a week early; on another, an eight-week import lead time was cut to three weeks.
Do you handle customs clearance in my country?
Only under DDP. On every other term the import entry is yours, and we support it with documents rather than with the filing.
What happens if parts arrive damaged?
Who bears the loss follows the term you bought on. Risk passes at the point named in the table above: damage before that point is ours; damage after it is a claim against the party that holds the cover — us under CIF, DAP and DDP, your insurer under EXW, FCA and FOB. Send photos of the outer carton, the dunnage and the damaged parts against the packing list, and the claim is answered within the same 8-hour after-sales window as any other issue, with a remedy agreed in writing: replacement, repair or credit.
Can you ship a prototype by air and production by sea?
Yes, and they are quoted separately. Laser cutting and CNC need no dedicated tooling, so prototypes ship straight from the drawing; the production price does not carry the air-freight cost of that prototype.
Can I inspect before the goods ship?
Yes. Your own inspector or a third party is welcome before handover, and 100% of every batch is re-inspected at the outbound stage with labels and key dimensions verified.
Page last updated: 22 September 2026. Terms, lead times and document lists above reflect current practice; a specific order is governed by its own quotation and confirmation.