China supplies the majority of the world’s cabinet hardware, and the difference between a good and a bad supplier is rarely price — it is process control and communication. This checklist is what we recommend to buyers before placing a first order.

1. Are they a factory or a trader?

Ask for the business licence, a video walk-through of the workshop, and the address of the die-casting and plating lines. Traders are not automatically bad, but they cannot control lead time when a plating line is busy.

2. What is the real MOQ?

Stock models usually ship from 100–500 pcs per size and finish. Custom tooling typically starts at 1,000–3,000 pcs per model. If an MOQ looks impossibly low for a custom design, ask whether they are reselling an existing mould.

3. What does tooling cost, and who owns it?

Zinc die-casting moulds for a handle usually cost USD 800–3,000 depending on complexity and cavity count. Confirm in writing that the mould is exclusive to you and that it can be transferred if you change supplier.

4. How long is sampling?

Stock samples: 3–7 days. Custom 3D-printed or CNC prototype: 7–15 days. Anyone promising a custom casting sample in three days is either reusing an existing mould or not telling you the truth.

5. Which tests come with the goods?

Ask for salt-spray hours, coating thickness, load test and a material certificate for stainless steel. RoHS and REACH declarations are required for EU buyers; without them, customs or your customer’s compliance team can stop the shipment.

6. How is the packing done?

Specify: individual poly bag, foam or EPE wrap for polished finishes, screws bagged separately, barcode label position, inner box print, carton grade and total carton weight. Poor packing causes more damage claims than poor plating.

7. Who inspects before shipment?

AQL 1.5 is a normal standard for hardware. Ask for the inspection report and photos of the actual cartons, not catalogue images. Third-party inspection (SGS, BV, TÜV) is inexpensive for a first order.

8. What are the terms?

FOB is standard for containers; DDP is common for parcel-size orders. Confirm Incoterms, payment terms (30% deposit / 70% before shipment is typical), and who handles the certificate of origin.

Red flags

• Prices far below the material cost of the stated metal.
• No material certificate, no salt-spray data.
• Photos that appear on ten other suppliers’ websites.
• Refusal to share a video of the production line.