Wholesale Paper Plates from China
– The Ultimate Guide 2022

Why should wholesale paper plates from China?

Several countries are major producers of paper plates, including China, India, Vietnam, and several Southeast Asian countries.

The agriculture in these countries is very advanced, and due to their significant population sizes, they produce and distribute large quantities of bagasse. This high degree of production results in low-cost raw materials that are used to create paper plates.

Almost 90% of the biodegradable tableware is produced in these countries and exported to the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

The really high percentage shows that the wholesale of paper plates from these countries has advantages that local wholesale does not have.

Why China?

• Integrated supply chain and cheaper Labour keep costs down
• Advanced production technology ensures product quality and capacity
• Developed shipping
• Export experience is much higher than other countries such as India
• The Chinese have the same spirit of contract as Europeans and Americans

How can I find the best Chinese paper plate supplier?

There are many ways to find suppliers. The following tips will make the process as simple as possible.

Find suppliers at fairs

Every year, there are many supplier fairs across the globe. The Canton Fair is most well-known in China, inviting suppliers from many categories.

There are also specialized fairs, such as environmental product and kitchenware fairs, which are held in China and other continents.

However, since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, these events have become more difficult to hold, occurring less often due to higher costs.

B2B trade platform

– Alibaba is a very well-known trade platform and the best choice for purchases of more than $30,000. They provide a large and comprehensive categories.

– DHgate is only suitable for small wholesale between $300 and $1000. It is a good choice if you are a small clothing store owner.

– Aliexpress is a retail site and part of Alibaba Group. They are the ideal choice for purchases under $100. It is a good choice for personal stores sourcing of clothes and shoes.

In other hand, Made in China, Global Sources, they are both commercial sourcing sites similar to Alibaba.

SNS

Social media websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram are also involved in some trading areas. However, the China paper plate suppliers and manufacturers do not use them frequently to advertise their products.

Search on Google

Google is free and does not increase more cost for manufacturers.

Luckily, Google is very strict in reviewing content that promotes merchants, and the safety of buyers is guaranteed. Whether you are looking to make a small or large purchase, Google is a great source to get more information on paper plate manufacturers.

We typically accept orders under 100 USD. If you are a purchasing director who specializes in disposable paper plate wholesale, we also handle orders up to $1,000,000.

How do I decide which paper plate supplier to choose?

First impressions

First impressions are important in business.

How does a supplier respond to your first inquiry? Is their response prompt? These factors are important as they reflect the attitude of the supplier when dealing with new customers and their ability to provide quality customer service.

Is it a paper plate manufacturer?

Some purchasers base their decision on this. Whether the products on website are specialized in one industry can help you judge it.

It is impossible for manufacturer to produce ceramic cups while manufacturing paper plates. Although these two products belong to tableware catalog, their raw materials, production processes and machines are completely different.

And other like whether the quotation is standardized, whether they can provide factory inspection reports, and whether they answer product questions promptly etc. For biodegradable tableware such as paper plates, the supplier should also provide FDA, CE, LFGB, AS58120 and related certificates.

Whether there are pictures of the workshop

Usually the manufacturer will provide pictures of the factory, loading, delivery, or videos of the equipment and production.

It is possible to make simple judgments based on these.

Knowledge of paper plates

Every company has new salespeople, but rest assured that professional manufacturers will require that they receive at least one week of product training. Successful candidates spend an entire week on the shop floor before being promoted to salespeople.

When designing to a very deep level of product knowledge, production techniques and equipment, you will find some clues.

For example, what is PFAS? Do you provide PFAS-free paper plates?

How do I know if the paper plates are high quality?

When contacting a supplier, find out what their primary sales market is. Suppliers that export mainly to American, European, and Australian companies will have higher requirements for the quality of their products.

Can provide certificates? e.g. FDA.

Does the supplier have a well-known partner?

Suppliers are happy to provide proof of affiliation with large, relevant companies, as well as test reports. Ask for their cooperation reports, which are valuable when deciding on a supplier for your wholesale business.

Get paper plate wholesale quotes based on trade terms

When you negotiate with suppliers, you will find that different suppliers prefer different incoterms. You will receive different offers on wholesale paper plates based on different incoterms. Here are five of the most common incoterms used by most businesses.

EXW Quote

Under these terms, the supplier quotes you the original product price. The supplier is not responsible for any shipping costs, meaning that you, the buyer, must pick up the cargo from the supplier’s factory or warehouse.

We don’t recommend EXW if you do not have a freight forwarder or are new to the business.

FOB Quote

Aside from product price, FOB also includes shipping costs for delivering the goods to the vessel of your nearby seaport or airport. After that, the supplier is free of all risks to the goods.

The following fees are included in the FOB:

FOB quote = original product cost + shipping cost from supplier’s warehouse to agreed port in China + exporting process fee.

CIF Quote

The supplier is responsible for delivering goods to the port in your country. Once it arrives there, it is your responsibility to arrange the goods to be shipped from the port to your address.

As for insurance, it doesn’t cover any damage your products experience during shipping. Insurance with CIF only covers an entire shipment getting lost during transit.

The following fees are included in the CIF:

CIF quote = original product cost + shipping cost from supplier’s warehouse to the port in your country + insurance + exporting process fee.

The total price includes both the supplier’s offer and the incoterms.

Select final shipping options based on time and cost preferences

This is an important step that comes before placing an order. Inexperienced buyers often overlook the importance of transportation negotiations.

When shipping the product from China to your location, there are five common delivery options:

• International courier (DHL. UPS, FedEx, and TNT)
• Airfreight
• Rail Transportation (Full container)
• FCL (Full container load by sea)
• LCL (Less than container load by sea)

Each mode of transportation is calculated using factors such as weight, volume, price, and insurance.

Less than 50kgs

If you are buying paper plate samples, or if the volume of goods is less than 50kg, you can choose express delivery. Options include DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT, and other well-known international express companies.

Express companies offer safe and fast service, with 5 to 10-day delivery to your door.

More than 50 kgs, less than 500 kgs

For wholesale paper plates in this range, you can choose express or air express for faster delivery. There is a more expensive unit price for express orders since they are delivered by sea rather than by air.

Over 500 kgs

For an order of this size, you should choose air freight rather than express. You will need to provide relevant compliance certificates during customs clearance in your destination country.

Although more complicated than express, air freight is cheaper since the weight calculated by air freight is about 20% less than express for the same volume.

More than 2 CBMs

Sea freight is the most popular option for this order size. It offers very competitive pricing but often takes 30 to 35 days to get to the destination port. If you are planning to place a time-sensitive order of wholesale paper plates of this size, air freight may be the best choice for you.

Full container

If you are in America, Canada, or Australia, sea freight is the only option for the transportation of goods. If you are in Europe, sea freight is also available, but faster and more expensive rail options are also available.

Here is common LCL destination port charges, Varies based on the number of cubic meters, ports and service companies:

• Admin fee
• Delivery Order fee(do fee): the charge for the paper to release the freight at the terminal issued
• eco-tax
• GAS: exhaust fee
• ISP: Import service fee
• isps: Inspection fees
• LCL: Unpacking fee
• T.E.S: emergency surcharge
• un/re-loading: Terminal operate fee
• ERS: Exchange rate adjustment fee
• Truck fee to your warehouse
  

Estimate disposable paper plate wholesale price and time

The paper plate suppliers will provide different prices according to different incoterms.

• EXW: Only product prices
• FOB: Product prices, China inland transportation, customs clearance
• CIF: Includes all costs before customs clearance at the destination port

What are the total costs of a completed order?

For products like paper plates, free samples are often provided in small quantities. For this, you only have to pay a small express fee. The following are the different charges you can expect to pay for in your order.

Customized charges

You may want to customize the packaging, patterns, or even the shape of the paper plates you purchase. These all come at an extra cost to you.

Total price of all products

The final cost of all products and fees in the order.

Shipping costs

There are four costs you will pay for the shipment of your order:

1. Cost of shipping your goods from the factory to the Chinese port
2. Cost of going through customs in China
3. Cost of shipping to your local port from China
4. Cost of transporting your goods from the destination port to your warehouse

Port of destination fee

As mentioned above, you will have to pay this fee to the shipping company when your goods have shipped to your destination port.

Taxes

You will be required to pay taxes for the wholesale paper plates.

Here are two references

Wholesale paper plates 30kg, the total price of the product is about 80-90 USD;
Full container order usually need 20,000+ USD to 30,000+ USD.

Choosing the best disposable paper plate supplier

In addition to evaluating suppliers and figuring out the total cost of wholesale paper plates based on different quotes, there are other issues to be aware of.

The lowest price may be fraudulent

Although price is a key factor to consider when choosing a supplier, you may be at risk of choosing an inferior wholesale paper plate supplier. The quality of paper plates may not meet your expectations and could be a different size or material than you expect.

Good communication

In some situations, you are specific about the requirements for your order, and the supplier still doesn’t produce the paper plates you requested. This requires you to spend a lot of time discussing the matter with them until they reproduce the product or refund you.

This may get you into trouble when talk with Chinese suppliers who are not good at English

Good communication requires two things:

• Always know your needs
• Choose a supplier that is proven to be professional in the field of biodegradable paper plates

Sampling

The quality of the product must match the offer provided.

To guarantee you are getting what you pay for, sampling is a quick and easy way to test the product. It is readily available throughout the wholesale paper plates industry for a low unit price and shipping weight. Paper plate samples are available for shipping by courier and can be tested within one week.

Confirm all details and payment methods

There are many important details to confirm before placing a formal order with your paper plate supplier.

• Request a proforma invoice
• Identify the product you want to order and customize details
• Select the lead and delivery time
• Ask about solutions for defective paper plates
• Learn about payment terms and methods

Common payment terms

Prepaid deposit: balance paid before delivery

Prepaid deposit: balance paid against bill of lading

No deposit: entire balance against bill of lading

Four of the main payment methods:

• T/T
• L/C
• Western Union
• PayPal

It is important to be aware of all payment terms and methods your paper plate supplier offers. Some options include full payment, 30% deposit, 50% deposit, and no deposit.

Although supplier’s quotation will always indicate these terms, please read the quotation carefully to be sure. A consensus can be reached that smaller deposits come with less risk but a higher quotation.

Place order and track paper plate production

Paying for your order is not the last step of the wholesale paper plate process. You need to pay attention to the production progress of your order to prevent any delays or other concerns.

When production is complete, you must take note of the shipping date, transportation time, customs inspection information, and related factors.

Luckily, the most professional paper plate manufacturers will save you time by keeping you updated with important information and providing pictures to track the progress of your order.

• Start production
• Quality inspection
• Finish production
• Quality inspection two
• Packing
• Loading and shipment to the port
• Applying to Chinese Customs and boarding

This information will allow you to be confident in your purchase and know your shipment’s progress during each step.

Customs clearance and pick up

When the goods arrive at your designated port, you will need to be cleared by customs and arrange for the order to be picked up. Remember to ask the supplier to provide the necessary documents for customs clearance ahead of time, including:

1. Sales contract
2. Commercial invoice
3. Packing listing
4. Bill of lading

Depending on the different regulatory requirements of customs for the products, additional proof, including a certificate of origin, is required. Experienced paper plate manufacturers will provide you required documents to pass customs clearance.

You will also need to pay customs duty. The tax rate for biodegradable paper plates varies from country to country.

Most of the time, the tariff on wholesale paper plates is not high. If you have any questions, please consult your local Customs agency.

What is my best choice?

The amount is less than 200 US dollars

Usually sample order or trial order, it is recommended to express directly, door to door, the most convenient.

The amount is over $2,000

The goods will be larger than one cubic meter, LCL is recommended

The amount is over $10,000

In the paper plate industry, this amount goods have been close to a small container, full container is the best choice.

CIF or FOB?

For you who is first time import, we suggest CIF.

Supplier is responsible for all matters, you just need to complete the customs clearance at the destination port, and hire trucks to transport to the warehouse.

For experienced buyers, both CIF and FOB are available. Just you need a stable shipping forwarder when choose FOB.