How Tile MOQ Works When You Buy from China
A buyer reading Minimum Order Quantity sees a number. A supplier sees three costs: kiln time, shade matching, and the carton count that fits a truck. Once you know which cost drives which rule, every MOQ line on a quote starts to make sense.
2026-09-01. 6 min read. Nexus Ceramics.
Stock lines: why there is no MOQ
Stock programmes are already fired, graded and boxed. When the goods exist in a warehouse, selling two cartons costs the same handling as selling two hundred. That is why Nexus ships stock with no MOQ and top-ups go out in 7 days.
The constraint is not quantity but continuity. A shade code can drift between production batches, so top-ups are matched against the sealed reference from your first order.
Custom: why one container is the floor
A custom colour, size or finish needs its own kiln run. The run cannot be split across buyers because the shade would differ. One full container is the smallest volume that covers the setup cost, so custom starts at 1 FCL.
Inside that container you can mix sizes and finishes of the same series. Ask for the mix before the run is booked, not after.
What to ask before you accept an MOQ
Three questions settle it: is my series stock or custom, what shade reference will top-ups be matched against, and what is the lead time difference between the two. For our programme the answers are 7 days versus 25 working days.
MOQ is not a policy. It is the shape of the production run. Stock bends, custom does not.
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