How to Import Tiles from China: MOQ, Samples & FCL Guide
A practical guide to importing tiles from China without surprises. Start with samples, lock shade and packing, then ship FCL or LCL from Foshan. Stock 7 days, custom 25 working days.
Why Source from Foshan
First-time importers should lock four things before deposit: cartons per container, shade reference, packing marks and shipment documents. Everything below follows the Foshan FOB workflow Nexus runs daily. See packing and export proof and quality control.
Cluster showroom, one visit
13 series and slabs in one place for market shortlisting.
Export built into the cluster
Neutral packing, carton marks and loading photos every container.
Second order ships like the first
Shade locked against your sealed sample.
Cluster, not a single kiln
Body, glaze, polish, cutting and carton suppliers within one district. Shorter lead times and faster top-ups than isolated factories.
Export built in
FOB Foshan with FCL and LCL to 5 regions, neutral packing, carton marks and loading photos every container.
Repeatability
Shade locked against your sealed sample and verified per batch. The second order ships like the first.
Capabilities
One supplier for tiles and slabs, planned by market rather than by catalogue page.
13 series, 7 bestsellers first
Travertine, Limestone, OSLO, Fusion Terra, GINO, Urban Elements and Wave Stone place fastest. Browse the full collections library.
Tiles + slabs in one container
Porcelain tiles with sintered stone slabs in 6/9/12/20mm. Details on the sintered stone slab supplier page.
OEM by container
Custom colours, sizes and finishes from 1 FCL with neutral packing for private label.
Products & Specs Table
Real specs only. No invented capacity or certificate numbers.
Large-format slabs, fewer joints
6mm for walls, 9mm for walls and floors, matt or polished.
Islands, vanities and desks
Countertop scale with mitred edges per the matched guide.
Thick tops that take impact
Visual weight for tops under real commercial load.
Porcelain & ceramic tiles
300x600, 600x600, 600x1200. 10mm body. Matt R9-R10 across all series, verified. Water absorption 0.5% or less, porcelain class. V2/V3 shade, spectrophotometer verified. One 20GP holds about 920 cartons of 600x600; mix two to three series per container.
Sintered stone slabs
1200x2700x6mm for walls, not floors, in stock. 1200x2700x9mm for walls and floors in matt or polished, in stock. 1600x3200x12mm for furniture, in stock. 1600x3200x20mm for heavy-duty tops, in stock. Cutting, holes and mitred edges confirmed against the matched guide.
Capacity & certificates
Peak daily capacity 50,000 sqm; routinely available monthly allocation 120,000 sqm (peak vs available, allocation confirmed per order). ISO9001, CE and SGS reports in hard copy with the quotation; SASO, SONCAP and PC for Middle East and Africa. TDS, R10 data, packing list, marks and loading photos per order. EN 14411 / ISO 13006.
OEM & Private Label
Your brand on the pallet, confirmed in writing before production.
No factory branding on the box
Your invoices, your brand on the pallet.
Your logo, your carton marks
Printed proof confirmed before production is booked.
Photos before the balance is due
Pallets, straps and marks on record. See wholesale container logic.
Neutral packing
No Nexus or Icona Casa branding. Standard for trial containers.
Custom boxes
Your logo, art and carton marks with a printed proof before production is booked. From 1 FCL.
Mixed containers
Mix two to three series per FCL. LCL trial pallets from 1 pallet.
QC & Certificates
In-house QC on every batch. Failed cartons are pulled, not shipped.
Caliper on every batch
11.92mm reference photo, gloss and warpage checked.
Model, shade and size on the box
Marks verified before loading. Details: quality control.
What passed QC looks like fitted
Slab work confirmed against the fabrication guide.
Every-batch checks
Caliper, glossmeter, warpage check, shade against your approved sample, carton marks verification.
Documents
TDS, water absorption, breaking load, R10 data, packing list and loading photos. ISO9001, CE and SGS reports in hard copy with the quotation. SASO, SONCAP and PC for Middle East and Africa.
Claims
0.5% spare pieces ride free. Breakage above 1% with unboxing video at discharge is replenished or credited. Details: quality control.
Samples, MOQ & Logistics
The terms first-time buyers ask about most.
Samples 2-7 days
Free samples, freight collect, fee refunded against order. LCL trial orders from 1 pallet. Start: how to order.
MOQ
Stock: no MOQ, top up from one carton. Custom: from 1 FCL, 25 working days from deposit.
FOB Foshan, FCL/LCL
FOB Foshan; CIF or EXW on request. FCL and LCL with loading photos every container. Transit cover: packing and export.
Projects
Verified deliveries with city, year, area and series on the record.
Dubai, UAE · 2022 · Retail mall extension
3,800 sqm. Series: Limestone + Ethereal Stone. Formats: 600x1200, 1200x2700 slabs. Read case.
Singapore, Singapore · 2024 · Boutique hotel, 42 keys
8,000 sqm. Series: Travertine + Urban Elements. Formats: 600x600, 600x1200. Read case.
Rotterdam, Netherlands · 2024 · Retail flagship rollout
30,000 sqm. Series: OSLO + GINO. Formats: 600x600, 300x600. Read case.
FAQ
How to import tiles from China step by step?
Define country, port and series for a FOB Foshan quote with cartons and CBM. Confirm samples in 2-7 days, lock shade and packing, then ship stock in 7 days or custom in 25 working days from deposit.
FCL vs LCL for tiles: which should I choose?
Choose FCL for full programmes and OEM from 1 FCL; choose LCL from 1 pallet for trials and showroom tests. Both leave with packing list, carton marks and loading photos.
What documents do I need to import tiles?
TDS, water absorption, breaking load, R10 data, packing list, carton marks and loading photos come standard. ISO9001, CE and SGS reports arrive in hard copy with the quotation; SASO, SONCAP and PC for Middle East and Africa.
How to check tile quality before shipment?
Every batch is checked for caliper, gloss, warpage, shade against your sealed sample and carton marks. Failed cartons are pulled. 0.5% spares ride free; breakage above 1% with unboxing video is replenished or credited.
Have a Market to Develop? Start with Samples.
Stock ships in 7 days, samples in 2-7 days, custom in 25 working days from deposit. FOB Foshan, FCL and LCL. Bosco replies within 24 hours.