Sourcing glossary
Direct answer
This glossary defines the 14 terms that decide a Chinese fishing tackle order, whether FOB, EXW, MOQ, tooling cost, colourway tolerance, AQL sampling, HS heading 9507, salt-spray testing, OEM versus ODM, private label, the sample-to-production gap, lead time, verification gates or reference price bands. Each entry states what the term means, what it changes in the price you pay, and where it does not apply. HS 9507 covers rods, hooks, reels and lures, and China exported US$1.93 billion under it in 2024.
Key facts
- A quotation is comparable only when the unit, the order quantity and the basis (FOB port or EXW factory) are all stated.
- Fishing rods, hooks, reels and lures classify under HS heading 9507 for duty purposes.
- For moulded or printed tackle, MOQ is set by tooling and setup cost, not by material cost.
- AQL inspection scope must be agreed before production starts, not after a defect appears.
Fourteen terms carry most of the money and most of the disputes in a Chinese tackle order. Each entry below says what the term means and what it changes.
The 14 terms at a glance
| Term | What it means | What it changes for you |
|---|---|---|
| FOB (Free On Board) | Seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port; cost and risk transfer there | The FOB port and the quantity it applies to must be stated, or two quotes are not comparable |
| EXW (Ex Works) | Buyer collects at the factory gate | Excludes inland freight, export clearance and terminal handling — which is why an EXW number looks lower |
| MOQ | The smallest quantity a factory will run for one specification | For moulded or printed tackle it is set by setup and tooling cost, not material |
| Tooling cost | The one-off cost of the injection mould, die or print plate | Amortised into the unit price above a threshold quantity — this is why MOQ and unit price move together |
| Colourway tolerance | The measured range a factory will hold between sample and repeat production | A colourway reference should be physical or measured, never a screenshot |
| AQL | Acceptable Quality Limit — the sampling standard (ISO 2859-1) defining allowed defects per inspected lot | Level and inspection points must be agreed before production; after shipment a defect is a negotiation |
| HS heading 9507 | The Harmonized System heading covering fishing rods, hooks, reels and artificial bait | Drives duty treatment in the destination market — it belongs in the quotation |
| Salt-spray test | Corrosion testing of plated hooks, rings and hardware (ASTM B117 / ISO 9227) | Specify it for saltwater programmes or accept that plating is unverified |
| OEM | Made to your specification and your brand | You normally own the tooling and the design |
| ODM | The factory's existing design, branded for you | Faster to market, but the design is not exclusive to you |
| Private label | Your brand on the factory's product | Usually the lowest-friction way to start; tooling stays with the factory |
| Sample-to-production gap | The difference between a hand-built sample and production line output | The most common source of disputes — ask for a production-line sample |
| Lead time | Days from confirmed order to goods ready | The repeat-order figure matters more than the first-order estimate |
| Verification gate | One of the four checks a supplier record must pass before we publish it | Business registration, main-business evidence, customs export records, direct interview |
What does FOB mean in tackle sourcing?
FOB means the seller's responsibility ends when the goods are on board the vessel at the named port. In a tackle quotation the port matters as much as the price: Ningbo and Qingdao do not produce the same landed cost, and a quotation that says only "FOB" without a port and a quantity cannot be compared with another.
What does EXW mean, and why is it cheaper?
EXW means the buyer collects at the factory gate. The price excludes inland freight to the port, export clearance and terminal handling, so an EXW number is structurally lower than an FOB number for the same goods and quantity. It is not a cheaper factory; it is a smaller scope.
What is MOQ and who sets it?
MOQ is the smallest quantity a factory will run for one specification. On moulded or printed products the floor is set by setup and tooling cost rather than material: the same lure body in a stock colourway may run in the low thousands, while a new colourway or a new mould raises the floor because the setup has to be recovered across the run.
What is tooling cost and why does it move the unit price?
Tooling is the one-off cost of the injection mould, die or print plate. Factories amortise it into the unit price above a threshold quantity, which is why a quote for 5,000 pieces and a quote for 50,000 pieces are not the same product at a different price — they carry the same tooling across different volumes.
What is colourway tolerance?
Colourway tolerance is the measured range a factory will hold between the sample you approve and repeat production. A physical or measured reference with a stated tolerance is checkable; a photograph is not, because screens and lighting differ.
What is AQL and when does it apply?
AQL is the Acceptable Quality Limit, the sampling standard (ISO 2859-1) that defines how many defects are permitted in an inspected lot. It applies when a defect would cost you more than the inspection: the level and the inspection points must be agreed before production, because a defect found after shipment is a negotiation rather than a remedy.
What is the sample-to-production gap?
It is the difference between a hand-built sample and the output of the production line. Hand-built samples hide assembly problems, so the useful sample is one taken from the line that will run your order.
What is the difference between OEM and ODM?
OEM means the product is made to your specification and carries your brand; you normally own the tooling and the design. ODM means you are branding the factory's existing design: faster to market, but the design is not exclusive to you. The choice decides who can sell the same product to your competitor.
How big is the Chinese fishing tackle export market?
How big is the Chinese fishing tackle export market?
| Measure | 2024 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All fishing tackle (HS 9507) | US$1.93 bn | US$1.77 bn | +9.0% |
| Fishing rods (HS 950710) | US$0.66 bn | US$0.62 bn | +6.5% |
| Fish hooks (HS 950720) | US$0.11 bn | US$0.11 bn | flat |
| Destination countries served | 196 | 197 | -1 |
| Largest single destination | US$546 M | US$445 M | +23% |
Rods account for about 34% of the total and hooks about 6%. The largest single destination takes roughly 28% of the 2024 total — which is why the export markets already on a supplier record are worth reading before you ask for a price.
Who supplies the United States?
| Source | 2024 import value | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| China | US$538 M | 59% |
| Japan | US$74 M | 8% |
| Malaysia | US$53 M | 6% |
| Viet Nam | US$42 M | 5% |
| All other sources (65 countries) | US$199 M | 22% |
| Total US imports | US$906 M | 100% |
The United States bought US$906 M of fishing tackle under HS 9507 in 2024 from 69 source countries. China supplied US$538 M of it — 59% of the total, and roughly 7 times the next largest source. That concentration is why specification discipline matters more than factory discovery: the factories are not hard to find, the comparable quotation is.
Figures retrieved from UN Comtrade (reporter China and United States, HS 9507, 2024) and aggregated across partner countries. They are historical customs values, not offers.
Related: the rules that decide whether a shipment clears customs — lead restrictions, packaging law, product-safety duties and country-of-origin marking — are set out on the fishing tackle compliance page.
Where each of these 14 terms appears in a real order, in sequence, is set out in the sourcing playbook.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two Chinese suppliers quote different prices for the same lure?
Usually because the quotes cover different scopes. An EXW number excludes inland freight, export clearance and terminal handling that an FOB number includes, and a lower price often assumes a much larger run. Normalise the quantity and the basis before comparing anything.
What is a normal MOQ for fishing lures from China?
For stock body shapes and stock colourways our sampled listings quote 50 to 2,000 pieces, depending on sub-category. A new mould or a new colourway raises the floor because tooling and setup cost has to be recovered across the run.
Do I need an AQL inspection for a tackle order?
It depends on what a defect costs you. AQL sampling (ISO 2859-1) defines how many defects are allowed in the inspected lot; the level and the inspection points have to be agreed before production, because a defect found after shipment is a negotiation, not a remedy.
What is HS 9507?
HS heading 9507 covers fishing rods, fish hooks, reels and artificial bait. The heading drives duty treatment in the destination market, so it belongs in the quotation rather than being assigned by the freight forwarder at the last minute.
Sources
- Incoterms rules — the official definitions of FOB and EXW
- ISO 2859-1 — the sampling standard behind AQL inspection
- Incoterms rules — FOB, EXW and who carries cost and risk
- ISO standards catalogue — quality and testing frameworks
- Harmonized System heading 9507 (rods, hooks, reels, lures) — US HTS lookup
- Import duty and tariff treatment — EU customs / TARIC portal
- Chemical compliance for plastics and metal finishes — ECHA (EU REACH)
Need a specification matched, not a list browsed?
Send the format, quantity, material and destination market. We answer against verified records — and tell you when the data is not good enough to answer with.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-13 · build 2026-09-17-p5jpv