MOQ is the smallest quantity a supplier will sell in one order. What it means for UK importers, why suppliers set it, and how to negotiate it down.
In short: MOQ stands for Minimum Order Quantity — the smallest number of units (or smallest order value) a supplier will produce or sell in a single order. For UK businesses importing from China or Vietnam, MOQs usually range from 100 to 1,000+ units per product, and they exist because factories need each run to cover setup, materials and labour. The good news: MOQs are often negotiable.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is the lowest amount a manufacturer or wholesaler will accept for one order. It comes in two forms: a unit MOQ (e.g. "500 pieces minimum") or a value MOQ (e.g. "$3,000 minimum order"). Many factories set a separate, higher MOQ for custom colours, materials or branding.
Every production run carries fixed costs — machine setup, tooling, material sourcing and labour scheduling. A factory spreads those costs across the units in your order. The fewer units you buy, the more each one costs the factory to make, which is why very small orders are either refused or priced high.
MOQs also protect the supplier's time. A serious factory would rather run one 1,000-unit order than ten 100-unit orders from buyers who may never return.
It varies widely by product and material. As a rough guide for UK importers:
| Product type | Typical MOQ | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Custom-printed packaging | 500–3,000 | Print plates and setup |
| Apparel / clothing | 100–500 per style/colour | Fabric rolls & cutting |
| Injection-moulded plastics | 1,000–5,000 | Expensive tooling/moulds |
| Electronics & gadgets | 500–1,000 | Component sourcing |
| Stock items (no customisation) | 10–100 | Already produced |
MOQ and price are linked. Order closer to (or above) the MOQ and your per-unit price drops, because setup costs are shared across more units. But a large quantity also ties up cash and raises your shipping, duty and storage bills. The smart move is to find the point where a lower unit price still leaves you with stock you can realistically sell.
Say a factory quotes a reusable water bottle at £2.10/unit at its 1,000-unit MOQ, or £2.85/unit for a 300-unit trial run. The trial costs £855 vs £2,100 — far less cash at risk — but you pay 36% more per bottle. If you're validating a new product, the trial run is usually worth it. Once it sells, you reorder at the lower price.
Often, but not always. Stock items and smaller factories have the most flexibility. High-tooling products (like injection-moulded plastics) have the least, because the mould cost is fixed regardless of quantity.
MOQ is a minimum quantity (units); MOV is a Minimum Order Value (money). Some suppliers use one, some use both.
Sometimes — by paying a premium, ordering stock items, or buying through a sourcing agent or wholesaler who aggregates orders.
Usually yes. The fewer units you order, the more of the factory's fixed costs each unit has to carry.
Custom branding (printing, packaging, colours) almost always raises the MOQ because it adds setup steps. Expect higher minimums for white-label or private-label runs.
Epic Sourcing has sourced 20,000+ products for 300+ clients, with bilingual teams on the ground in China and Vietnam. Because we place regular volume with vetted factories, we can frequently negotiate MOQs down for UK importers — and help you choose a first-order quantity that doesn't over-commit your cash. Talk to our UK team about your product.
Related reading: how to source Chinese manufacturers, shipping costs from China to the UK, and our guide to finding reliable manufacturers in China.
Last updated: 14 June 2026
