How to Request and Compare Vehicle Quotes from China: An RFQ Checklist for Overseas Dealers

1. Define the Buying Decision Before Contacting Suppliers

The strongest RFQ begins with the dealer's own market requirements. If a vehicle cannot be imported, registered, serviced or sold at an acceptable margin in the destination market, a favorable China-side price has limited value.

Record the destination country and port, required left- or right-hand drive, acceptable powertrain, model year, local certification or homologation needs, and any age or emissions restrictions. Check these requirements with the relevant local authority or customs broker before circulating the request. Suppliers can describe their vehicles and export process, but they cannot approve registration in another country on the buyer's behalf.

Set target quantity, preferred colors and trims, acceptable substitutions, target arrival window and whether this is a test order or recurring demand.

If you are still deciding between stock and factory supply, start with the broader wholesale vehicle sourcing guide. The RFQ below assumes you have already narrowed the vehicle and market requirements enough to ask suppliers for a specific offer.

2. Specify the Vehicle So Every Supplier Quotes the Same Product

“Quote your best price for a 2026 SUV” invites offers that cannot be compared. Ask for the exact brand, model, model year, trim, powertrain, drivetrain, steering position, seating layout, exterior and interior colors, and important options. If the manufacturer uses different names for domestic and export versions, ask the supplier to identify the actual version or specification sheet behind the offer.

State whether alternatives are allowed. If they are, require each on a separate line with its differences identified. For EVs, include the battery variant, charging standard and relevant software or language requirements. For commercial vehicles, add payload and body configuration.

Also request the proposed vehicle status: new export vehicle, registered or zero-mileage used vehicle, or conventional used vehicle. Status can affect the export route and the documents the buyer needs to review. Our new-versus-zero-mileage buyer guide explains why two visually similar cars may require different checks.

3. Ask What “Available” Actually Means

The word available is not an inventory category. A useful reply should distinguish among a physical stock unit, an incoming allocation, a factory order and a vehicle the supplier expects to find in the open market.

For stock, request the location, available quantity, confirmation date, condition evidence and VIN timing. For a factory order, request the acceptance milestone, production window and expected VIN timing. For market-sourced vehicles, ask when availability and price become binding.

Do not insist on a VIN before one exists. Request a milestone for VINs, unit-level photos and inspection before balance payment. A promise of immediate shipment for unallocated vehicles needs clarification.

Confirm that the quoted quantity matches the RFQ. For mixed batches, request availability by trim and color and a plan for partial deliveries.

4. Choose a Quote Basis and Name the Place or Port

Tell suppliers which commercial basis you want them to quote, and ask them to price any alternative basis separately. “FOB China” and “CIF destination” are too vague for a useful comparison. The offer should name the origin delivery point or port, destination port where relevant, the Incoterms® 2020 rule and the shipping method assumed.

EXW, FOB and CIF allocate costs and responsibilities differently; CIF includes an obligation for the seller to contract carriage and minimum insurance, but it does not automatically include destination import clearance or inland delivery. For containerized shipments handed to a carrier at a terminal, FCA may fit the actual handover better than FOB. Confirm the appropriate term with the forwarder and contract parties. The ICC's Incoterms® 2020 checklist explains the distinction, while our FOB, CIF and EXW comparison applies it to vehicle buying.

Ask suppliers to list included and excluded charges: China inland transport, export handling, terminal and loading charges, freight, insurance, destination charges and final delivery.

5. Request Commercial Terms Alongside the Price

The quoted number is only one part of the offer. Ask for the currency, per-unit and total price, tax or fee assumptions, quote validity and conditions that permit a price revision. A freight-inclusive offer may be valid only for a particular sailing or booking window. A factory-order price may depend on a future allocation or specification confirmation.

Request the deposit amount or percentage, when it becomes payable, what the deposit secures, the evidence supplied before balance payment and the intended payment beneficiary. The quotation should identify the seller and explain any difference between the seller, exporter and payment-receiving entity. Do not treat an emailed quotation as proof of a company's identity or export capability; use the separate exporter verification guide before sending funds.

Ask how unavailable trims, production delays or partial delivery would be handled before the proforma invoice (PI) is issued.

6. Copy-and-Send Vehicle RFQ Template

Use this as the starting brief for each supplier. Replace every bracketed field and remove anything that does not apply. Request answers in writing, with each alternative offer shown separately.

Send the same RFQ to every shortlisted supplier. Share any specification clarification with all of them.

7. Build a Quote Comparison Sheet That Exposes Gaps

Create one row per supplier and vehicle version, not one row per email. Capture at least these fields:

Mark each field confirmed, estimated, conditional or missing. A future VIN on a factory order can be managed through a milestone; unexplained VIN timing remains a risk. Retain the dated offers and attachments.

First remove offers for the wrong vehicle or unworkable route. Normalize the rest to the same delivery point, currency and quantity. Then compare timing, evidence and payment exposure.

8. Normalize Prices Before Ranking Suppliers

Suppose two suppliers quote the same trim, status and quantity. Supplier A offers USD 18,500 per vehicle FOB at a named China port. Your forwarder estimates USD 1,650 for ocean freight and USD 100 for insurance per vehicle. Supplier B offers USD 19,900 per vehicle CIF at the same destination port. On this limited port-arrival basis, A is USD 20,250 and B is USD 19,900 per vehicle. B appears USD 350 lower.

Those figures are a calculation example, not current vehicle prices or freight benchmarks. They exclude destination charges, duties, taxes and inland delivery. They also assume A's FOB price includes the origin obligations relevant to the agreed term, B's CIF price includes the specified freight and insurance, and both offers cover the same vehicle and shipping window. Verify those assumptions before ranking them.

If B's insurance is minimum cover and the buyer needs broader protection, record the additional cost. If A's forwarder quote expires sooner, flag the validity mismatch. If the trims or vehicle statuses differ, stop the price comparison and request corrected offers. Our landed-cost guide can be used after the quote basis is settled to model the full destination-side economics.

For a mixed order, calculate a comparable amount per version and a weighted total for the actual quantities. Averages can conceal an expensive minority trim or a partial shipment. Keep estimated local taxes separate and ask the destination broker to check their basis rather than copying a rate from another market.

9. Review the Non-Price Risks That Can Change the Decision

Once the price comparison is fair, ask what could prevent the offer from turning into the specified delivered vehicles.

Specification drift: Does the offer identify the exact trim and options? Is a substitute allowed only after written buyer approval? The purchase order should not rely on a model name alone.

Supply uncertainty: Does “in stock” refer to allocated units, or merely a supplier's view of market availability? Request evidence at the stage where the supplier says it exists.

Vehicle status and export route: Is the proposed status consistent with the transaction and documents? Registered or zero-mileage vehicles may need different checks from new export vehicles. Do not assume identical-looking units follow the same route.

Timing: Separate production or sourcing time, China-side export preparation, vessel booking and ocean transit. An estimated sailing date is not a promised arrival date.

Payment exposure: Is the requested payment proportional to verified progress? Identify what the buyer can inspect before each payment milestone and who will receive the funds.

Document readiness: Which records can be checked before payment, and which are created only after export or shipment? The China vehicle export documents checklist helps buyers align the PI, vehicle identity, export path and later shipping documents without demanding final paperwork prematurely.

A higher price may be reasonable for confirmed stock and a workable inspection window. A polished quote alone does not establish supply or export readiness.

10. Turn the Winning Quote Into a Controlled Purchase Order

Before paying a deposit, reconcile the selected quotation with the draft PI or sales contract. The parties, vehicle details, quantity, currency, Incoterms® rule and named place, included services, payment milestones and delivery assumptions should match. Resolve differences in writing before funds move.

For multi-unit orders, define how VINs will be assigned and reported, how each unit will be checked against the agreed configuration, and whether partial shipment is allowed. If the supplier proposes a replacement color or trim, require the buyer's approval before changing the order. Ask what evidence triggers inspection, balance payment and shipping release.

Where a pre-shipment inspection is agreed, put its scope and timing into the order process. Photos alone may not confirm options, condition or paperwork. Our pre-shipment inspection checklist provides a separate unit-level workflow. Keep inspection findings connected to VINs so a passing report for one car is not used to approve another.

An RFQ is a decision tool; the accepted offer still needs a properly documented transaction.

Final RFQ Review Checklist

Before selecting a supplier, confirm that:

• Every offer is for the same model year, trim, vehicle status and requested quantity—or differences are clearly separated.
• Stock or production claims have a dated basis, and VIN timing is explained.
• The price names its currency, Incoterms® 2020 rule, place or port, inclusions, exclusions and validity period.
• Freight and insurance assumptions are identifiable; destination costs are separately estimated.
• The seller, exporter and payment beneficiary are understood.
• Deposit and balance milestones are tied to defined evidence.
• The proposed export and destination-import paths have been checked by the relevant parties.
• Missing information has been requested in writing before a price ranking is treated as final.
• The PI or contract carries forward the chosen offer without silent changes.

The result is not necessarily the cheapest quoted vehicle. It is a purchasing decision supported by a clear specification, a comparable commercial basis and an achievable verification plan. If you are preparing an RFQ for a dealer or fleet order, contact WZ AUTO with the destination, model, quantity and preferred delivery basis to request a vehicle offer.