What is the minimum order

What is the minimum order (MOQ) to import car parts from China?

There is no single number that applies to everything. The minimum order depends on the part, because each SKU carries its own minimum based on how the supplier sells and packs it. That is the real difference between importing directly from China and buying at a local shop: at the factory the minimum is real, but on Chinese-brand replacement parts that minimum is usually low. In Brace's catalogue, out of 599 published references, 384 start at 1 piece. That is about 64% of the parts you can order one at a time. In practice it means you almost never have to buy a full box of the same part just to import.

Brace works without a hard blanket MOQ across the catalogue: instead of imposing a high flat minimum, each line is quoted at its real supplier minimum and the rest is solved by consolidating the shipment. So when someone asks "what is the minimum", the honest answer is "it depends on the part, and for most of them it's 1 piece".

Why is there a minimum order at all?

The minimum exists because every part carries a cost to handle, pack and ship that does not drop just because you order fewer. A heavy cast part, a set that sells as a pair, or a reference the factory only runs in batches drags a higher minimum. A filter, a sensor or a small bracket, on the other hand, sells one at a time with no problem. So the minimum is not arbitrary: it reflects how each reference is made and packed. Understanding that helps you stop fighting a minimum that exists for a physical reason and instead arrange the order so the minimum stops being an obstacle.

Is the MOQ per part or per whole shipment?

It is per part, meaning per SKU, not per total shipment. This is the most expensive confusion we see: the buyer thinks there is a dollar or carton minimum for the whole order and ends up over-buying "to reach the minimum". It doesn't work that way. Each reference has its own minimum. In Brace's catalogue the real spread of per-part minimums looks like this:

As you can see, the higher minimum lands on cheap consumables, where ordering 10 pieces costs little. The expensive parts are exactly the ones that start at 1 piece, which is where not over-buying matters most.

Can I start with a small pilot order?

Yes, and it is what we recommend with a new supplier. A pilot order is a small first shipment whose goal is not to make money yet, but to verify three things: that the part fits the vehicle, that the quality is what you expect, and that the supplier holds lead time and communication. Because 384 references start at 1 piece, you can build a real pilot with few parts and few units without locking up capital in one big blind purchase. Once that first shipment arrives clean, repeating the order at volume is far less risky, because you already know fitment and quality are right.

How do I build a pilot order worth doing?

The point is for the shipment to test as much as possible with as little money as possible. A tidy pilot is built like this:

1. Pick 5 to 10 parts you already know you can sell, not random parts "to try".
2. For each one send brand, model, year, the OE number if you have it, and a photo of the old part. This confirms fitment before quoting.
3. Mix parts of different minimums: some at 1 piece, one or two of the 2- or 4-piece kind, to see how each line behaves.
4. Consolidate everything into a single shipment to spread the freight cost across several references.
5. Ask for photos of the real parts before packing, so you don't discover an error after the cargo has landed.

In-stock parts are dispatched in 2-4 working days once the order and payment are confirmed; freight for the pilot is scheduled on top of that.

How do I lower the minimum by mixing brands?

Here is the most useful lever for a small order: the consolidated or mixed shipment. Instead of filling a box with many units of one part to "justify" the freight, you combine several different parts, even across different brands (Chery, GWM, Changan, MG and others), in the same shipment. Each line goes in the quantity you actually need, and together they reach a volume that makes freight practical and economical. In Brace's catalogue, 567 of the 599 references are flagged as mixed-order compatible, meaning nearly all of them can be combined in one consolidated shipment when stock and the per-SKU minimum allow. That is the real mechanism that makes a small pilot order viable without overpaying.

How much capital do I need for a first order?

Less than most people assume, because the price per part varies widely. The catalogue has references starting from $0.50 per unit (for example an engine valve for the MG350) and large parts like a front bumper for the Jetour X70 in the $100-130 per-piece range. A typical pilot order combines a few cheap fast-moving parts with one or two higher-value parts, to test the full range without a large outlay. The exact amount depends on which parts you sell; that is why it is better to build the real list and quote against it, rather than starting from a theoretical "minimum order" figure.

What does Brace need to quote the minimum?

To give you the real minimum per part and confirm fitment, send for each reference: vehicle brand, model and year; OE number if you have it; side or position where relevant; a photo of the old part; the quantity you want and the destination. With that we confirm the correct version (on Chinese brands the same model changes parts by engine, facelift and side) and set the per-SKU minimum before quoting. If you are unsure why the VIN and photo are asked for, see the page on why we ask for the VIN.