If you are sourcing fashion jewelry from a factory in China, the Incoterm you agree on decides three things: who books the freight, who carries the risk if goods are damaged or lost, and how much of the total landed cost appears on your invoice. For buyers working with a wholesale jewelry factory in Meilong, Haifeng County — China's fashion jewelry manufacturing hub — the practical choice usually comes down to EXW, FOB, or CIF. Here is how each one splits cost and responsibility, with real numbers you can apply to your next order.
EXW (Ex Works): The factory's responsibility ends when your order is packed and ready at their premises in Meilong. You pay for pickup, inland trucking to the port, export customs clearance, ocean or air freight, insurance, and import clearance. The factory invoice covers goods only.
FOB (Free On Board): The factory delivers your jewelry to the named port (typically Shenzhen or Guangzhou) and handles export customs clearance. Once the goods are loaded on the vessel, risk transfers to you. You pay the main freight, insurance, and destination charges.
CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight): The factory pays freight and insurance to your destination port. Risk still transfers when goods are loaded at origin, but your invoice includes shipping and insurance. You handle import clearance, duties, and last-mile delivery.
For a typical order of 5 pieces per style across several of our 632 original styles, the cost difference is not trivial. On a 50 kg air shipment, EXW might save 8–12% on the invoice but leaves you arranging a freight forwarder, export documents, and customs broker — work that a first-time importer often underestimates.
FOB is usually the cleanest choice. Your order is small enough that the factory can consolidate it with other shipments to Shenzhen or Guangzhou, and you avoid the administrative burden of export clearance. If you are testing titanium steel or 316L stainless steel pieces — all hypoallergenic, nickel-free, and lead-free with IP/PVD vacuum plating — a small FOB trial lets you verify 48-hour salt-spray tarnish testing results before scaling.
CIF works well when you are ordering across necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, sets, pendants, anklets, and brooches in one shipment and want a single landed-cost figure. The factory arranges freight and insurance, so your invoice reflects a predictable total. Just confirm the destination port charges separately — these are almost always billed to the buyer.
EXW gives you maximum control. If you already have a freight forwarder in Shenzhen and a customs broker at destination, EXW can reduce your per-unit cost. You also control insurance coverage and routing, which matters for higher-value orders containing sterling silver, moissanite, or cubic zirconia.
Under all three terms, import duties and taxes are the buyer's responsibility. The Incoterm only changes who arranges and pays for transport and insurance up to a defined point. Budget for destination port fees, customs brokerage, and last-mile delivery separately — these are rarely included in CIF quotes even though buyers often assume they are.
For OEM/ODM and private label orders with custom logos and gift boxes, confirm whether packaging affects the declared value and freight class. Custom gift boxes add volume, which can shift air freight costs more than the jewelry itself.
China Jewelry Factory ships from Meilong, Haifeng County, Guangdong, with low MOQ of 5 pieces per style, no minimum brand order for custom logos, and 9-language support. Free shipping applies on orders over USD 50. To get an accurate EXW, FOB, or CIF quote, send your style list, quantities, and destination port to WhatsApp +63 9690523936 or email yuhua0095@gmail.com. Specify your preferred Incoterm upfront — it is the fastest way to get a quote you can compare line by line.
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