MOQ, Lead Time and Stock: How to Plan a First Organic Pigment Order from China

Quick answer. Our standard MOQ is one bag per grade for trial orders (bags are 10 KG, 20 KG or 25 KG depending on the grade); custom grades normally start at 500 KG per grade. Small quantities from stock dispatch in 5–7 working days; the general lead time is 15–25 working days. We do not operate overseas warehouses — buffer stock is held at our Shanghai facility, and every shipment leaves with a TDS, an SDS and a batch Certificate of Analysis.

If you are shortlisting a supplier and your two questions are “how small can I start?” and “how fast can I get it?”, these are the numbers that matter — and the answers below come from our own order desk, not from a generic industry average.

What does MOQ mean at Honor Pigments?

MOQ applies per grade, not per order.

Why this matters to your planning: a buyer qualifying three yellows and a red for a new line does not need three minimum production runs. The trial is one bag per grade; the production commitment comes later, and only after you have seen the pigment in your own system. Custom work follows the same logic — 500 KG gets you a grade built to your target shade and dispersion requirement, not a catalogue compromise.

Lead time: what to expect

One honest caveat: lead times are subject to raw material availability. If an input is short, we confirm the actual date with you against the real situation rather than holding a number we cannot meet. Where timing is critical, tell us your line start date and we will quote the fastest route that still keeps the paperwork clean — air freight is available on request alongside sea freight.

Do you hold stock in Europe or North America?

No — and we would rather say so plainly than let you plan around a warehouse that does not exist. Our buffer stock for the top 50 SKUs is held at our Shanghai facility, and we ship from there to 50+ countries, from 25 kg trial batches to full container loads.

What that means in practice: for European and North American buyers, the planning variables are the production window above plus freight transit, and the documentation must be right the first time. Two things we do to de-risk it:

• Documents are issued with the goods, not after a reminder. TDS, SDS and a lot-specific CoA ship as standard; REACH statements, FDA-related documentation and AP(89)-1 declarations are available on request.
• Buffer stock is reserved against your order, so the dispatch clock starts from confirmation rather than from a production slot.

If sea freight timing does not fit your start date, ask us for the air option — it is available, and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth the premium for your quantity.

Certifications and compliance you can check

A note on reading our numbers: where a parameter is not printed on the grade TDS, we say so — “not stated on TDS, confirm on CoA or by application test” — rather than borrowing a value from a neighbouring grade. That is deliberate: a specification you cannot verify is worse than a gap you can plan around.

FAQ

Q1. What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ) for organic pigments?
Packaging depends on the grade — typically 25 KG, 20 KG or 10 KG bags. Our standard MOQ is one bag per grade for trial orders. For regular production grades we hold buffer inventory, and smaller quantities may be available. Custom grades typically start at 500 KG per grade. We support everything from single-bag samples to full 20-foot container orders.

Q2. What is your typical delivery lead time?
Small quantities from stock dispatch in 5–7 working days after order confirmation. The general lead time is 15–25 working days. Lead times are subject to raw material availability, and where an input is short we confirm the actual date against the real situation.

Q3. Do you hold stock in Europe or North America?
No. Our buffer stock for the top 50 SKUs is held at our Shanghai facility and we ship worldwide from there. Air freight is available on request if sea transit does not fit your production start date.

Q4. Can I mix several grades in one trial order?
Yes. MOQ is set per grade, and mixed-grade shipments are supported — the minimum mixed shipment is one pallet.

Q5. What documents do I receive with a first shipment?
Every order ships with a grade-level TDS, an SDS and a batch CoA as standard. REACH compliance statements, FDA-related documentation and AP(89)-1 declarations are available on request.

Related reading on honorpigment.com: Knowledge centre · Quality control · Organic pigments · Contact our technical team