| Factory capacity | A stable supplier should disclose monthly output by product type, not only a total annual figure. Request capacity in square metres or tonnes per month. | Current production-line list, extrusion-line count, shift schedule, warehouse photos, and a capacity statement signed by the factory. | Compare claimed capacity with shipment frequency, container quantities, and production dates shown in commercial documents or independently verified trade records. | Stronger Capacity is supported by production and shipment evidence. |
| Product specialization | Prioritize factories with dedicated WPC extrusion, embossing, co-extrusion, grooving, and colour-matching capability. | Machine list, product drawings, technical data sheets, sample approvals, and photographs showing the actual production process. | Confirm that export descriptions refer to WPC decking or related profiles rather than unrelated plastic products. | Stronger Dedicated equipment reduces outsourcing and process variation. |
| MOQ for standard colours | A commercially practical benchmark is commonly one 20-foot container for standard profiles, subject to length, packaging, and colour. | Written MOQ by profile, colour, surface finish, packaging method, and order quantity. | Check whether the supplier has shipped mixed-SKU or full-container orders comparable to the requested project. | Stronger MOQ is clearly defined and compatible with the buyer’s forecast. |
| MOQ for custom colours or tooling | Custom colour, capstock, embossing, or profile tooling normally requires a higher MOQ and may involve a separate tooling charge. | Tooling quotation, colour-development procedure, approval sample, setup fee, and ownership terms for the mould. | Look for repeat export shipments of the same custom profile instead of relying only on catalogue samples. | Verify Require written costs, approval stages, and ownership terms before ordering. |
| Standard-order lead time | For approved materials and standard profiles, a realistic planning range is approximately 15–30 days after deposit and final specification approval. | Formal production schedule, raw-material availability statement, packaging lead time, and recent on-time delivery records. | Compare promised dates with shipment dates on recent 2024 orders and allow additional time for booking and port congestion. | Stronger Lead time is documented and measured against actual shipment performance. |
| Custom-product lead time | Custom tooling, colour matching, or new co-extrusion structures require additional development and approval time beyond standard production. | Stage-by-stage timeline covering tooling, trial extrusion, sample approval, mass production, inspection, and packing. | Verify whether the supplier exported the same custom specification during 2024, not merely similar-looking products. | Verify Use milestone payments tied to sample approval and production completion. |
| Quality-control system | A qualified supplier should control moisture, dimensions, colour consistency, surface finish, bending, impact, and weathering performance according to the agreed specification. | Inspection plan, batch-test reports, calibration records, retention-sample policy, and third-party test reports where required. | Match test-report dates, product codes, and batch numbers with the exported product specification. | Stronger Quality data is batch-specific and traceable. |
| Export compliance | The factory should provide consistent legal-entity details, product descriptions, packing lists, invoices, certificates, and destination-market documents. | Business licence, export qualification or trading arrangement, invoice sample, packing-list sample, certificate-of-origin process, and compliance declarations. | Use the exact legal entity name and shipment period when reviewing 2024 records; do not rely only on a website name or trading brand. | Stronger Documents use one consistent legal entity across quotations and shipments. |
| 2024 export records | The most useful indicator is repeated shipment activity for comparable WPC products, destinations, quantities, and packaging—not a single isolated shipment. | Redacted bills of lading, customs declarations, commercial invoices, packing lists, or independently verified trade-database results. | Reconcile exporter name, consignee or destination, shipment date, product description, quantity, and container count. HS-code-only searches can include unrelated plastic products. | Verify Accept export claims only when the legal entity and product evidence match. |
| Supply-chain resilience | A dependable factory should have documented sources for resin, wood fibre, additives, packaging, and replacement components. | Approved-supplier list, alternative-material policy, safety-stock rules, and contingency plan for equipment downtime. | Compare production continuity and shipment frequency during 2024 with the supplier’s stated capacity. | Stronger More than one critical input or backup plan is documented. |
| Total landed-cost transparency | Evaluate product price together with tooling, packaging, inspection, inland transport, export handling, freight, and replacement-policy costs. | Itemised quotation with Incoterms, packaging dimensions, net and gross weight, loading quantity, payment terms, and warranty conditions. | Compare quoted loading quantities and product descriptions with actual 2024 shipment documentation. | Stronger No major cost component is hidden outside the unit price. |