Why Do Two Knitwear Factories Quote Different FOB Prices for the Same Sweater?

Because they are rarely quoting the same garment. Two apparently identical sweaters can differ in yarn count, blend ratio, knitting gauge, panel-forming method, finishing depth, defect allowance and how much of the packing and trim cost is included in the quoted term, and any one of those moves the unit figure double digits. The practical test is this: a gap under roughly 5 percent is usually overhead and margin structure, and it is negotiable; a gap of 15 percent or more almost always means something structural differs, and chasing the lower number without aligning the specification transfers the difference into quality claims rather than savings. So ask for the breakdown before you ask for the discount, starting with whether both quotes assume the same knit gauge and machine class.

In short: compare specifications, not totals. The cheapest way to make two quotes match is to remove something from one of them, which is usually not the outcome the buyer intended.

Which Cost Lines Actually Sit Inside Your FOB Number?

FNJIA splits its own quotes across these same lines, as any factory should be willing to. Usually only one or two dominate a given style, so asking which one it is resolves most apparent pricing mysteries quickly.

Are the Two Factories Actually Building the Same Garment?

Four specification choices produce visually similar sweaters with materially different cost bases. All four are legitimate; the problem is only when they go unstated.

We set out the construction trade-off in more detail in our comparison of fully fashioned and cut-and-sew knitwear, because that single decision shapes fit, waste and cost at the same time. Fiber choice interacts with it, and our knitwear fabric guide covers how cotton, wool, cashmere and acrylic behave once a garment is worn and washed.

Where Does an Unusually Low Quote Usually Come From?

A quote that sits well below the rest of the field is rarely magic. It is usually one of five substitutions, none of which are visible in a photograph.

• Yarn sourced one count coarser or with a higher synthetic share than the sample you approved.

• Pre-production washing skipped, so the garment meets measurements before the customer's first wash and not after.

• Tolerances widened, which allows a wider spread of fit within one delivery lot.

• Inspection stages reduced, so borderline pieces ship instead of being reworked.

• Packing, labels and cartons excluded from the quoted term and invoiced later.

The first four surface after delivery, which is precisely when they are expensive. FNJIA's own quality process runs across incoming material inspection, pre-production review, in-line inspection, random sampling, final inspection, packing and labeling verification, and a pre-shipment check, and we wash fabric before cutting because dimensional stability problems cannot be corrected after garments are boxed.

Should You Take Sea Freight to Lower Your Landed Cost?

Usually yes for planned replenishment, rarely yes for anything tied to a launch date. The decision is cash flow against calendar, and the numbers below are the ones we publish for our own shipments.

One pricing quirk is worth knowing because it surprises people: shipping 19 kilograms can cost more than shipping 21 kilograms, since freight pricing bands reward reaching a higher weight tier. For that reason we advise consolidating until you pass the threshold rather than splitting consignments. Destination-country tariffs sit outside any factory's control, so whoever files your entry should confirm the duty treatment before you commit to a landed cost target. If you ship into Europe and want the clearance handled for you, our write-up on door-to-door apparel delivery to Europe explains how that arrangement works in practice.

How Do You Compare Two Quotes Side by Side?

Normalize five variables before comparing totals, or the comparison is meaningless.

1. Send the identical request package to both factories, including size spec, tolerances and size ratio.

2. Request a breakdown of yarn, knitting, finishing, decoration, trims and packing rather than a single unit price.

3. Align the trade term, the port or Incoterm, and whether duty and clearance are included.

4. Agree the defect allowance and what happens to pieces that fail final inspection.

5. Fix how the lead time is counted, normally from pre-production sample approval rather than from deposit.

For reference, FNJIA charges 50 dollars per piece for a simple sample and up to 80 dollars for a more complicated one, quote roughly 7 to 12 working days from payment to sample receipt, and run bulk production in 15 to 20 working days after the pre-production sample is approved. Published minimums are 100 pieces per item on our custom program and 300 pieces per design in our FAQ, with private labels and custom hangtags carrying a 1,000-piece minimum; which floor applies depends on whether the yarn is stock or custom spun and dyed. We hold surplus labels for your later runs rather than scrapping them, and details of our compliance-related work are collected in our certified knitwear manufacturing overview.

FAQ

Q: Can you match a price another factory quoted us?A: Sometimes, but only once we can see where the difference sits. Comparing an itemized quote against ours usually reveals a yarn, gauge or finishing difference, and we will tell you which line changes rather than quietly substituting materials to reach a number.

Q: Why does the second colorway cost more per piece than the first?A: Each colorway often means its own dye lot and sometimes a separate knitting run, so setup and minimum-purchase costs repeat. Consolidating colors into one production run, or using stock shades for the test quantity, is the usual way to close that gap.

Q: How much does shipping method actually change landed cost?A: Frequently more than the manufacturing cost difference between two factories. Sea freight takes the longest but spreads cost better over volume, while express courier at 3 to 5 working days suits samples and urgent top-ups; the right answer depends on whether your constraint is cash or calendar.

Q: Is a lower price riskier for small first orders?A: It can be, because small runs have less room to absorb rework. Below roughly 100 to 300 pieces per design, most factories recover their setup cost in the unit price either way, so a very low quote usually signals a discarded process step rather than an efficiency gain.

Q: What should we do first if our target price is below every quote received?A: Change the specification rather than the supplier. Dropping one gauge step, moving from intarsia to print, reducing colorways, or accepting stock-shade yarn each removes cost from a specific line, and seeing those options priced individually is more productive than asking for a blanket discount.

Get an Itemized Knitwear Quote From FNJIA Knitwear

Send your style file, target FOB price and intended quantity to fnjia@fnjiaknitwear.com. FNJIA will return a cost breakdown by yarn, gauge, finishing, decoration and packing, flag which specification choices are driving your number, and quote the alternatives side by side so you can decide what to change.