The landed cost of wholesale eyeglass frames is the cost of getting an order to the defined destination under a defined set of responsibilities. It is not the quoted frame price with a guessed shipping percentage added. The same frame offer can produce different totals depending on packing, transport, import requirements and what the seller has already included.
Use this guide as a budgeting worksheet for a China-sourced frame order. It does not provide customs, tax or freight rates for your market. Obtain those from current quotations and a qualified customs or logistics adviser. For the wider buying process, see our affordable eyeglass frames wholesale guide.
Define the destination and delivery basis first
Record the destination address or named place, the shipment date range and the proposed trade term. The International Chamber of Commerce explains that an Incoterms® 2020 rule needs a named place or port and allocates different costs, obligations and risks. It does not by itself specify every contractual matter.
Ask the supplier to identify which transport and handling charges its quotation includes. Ask the freight provider to quote the remaining legs against the same shipment details. If the seller has already included a charge, do not add it again. If a line is unclear, mark it “unconfirmed” rather than zero.
Build the order-cost worksheet
The following fields form a comparison framework. Include a charge only when it applies to your order and is not already included elsewhere.
- Frames: What model, specification, quantity and currency does the unit price cover?
- Samples and development: Are there separate sample, revision or tooling charges? Are they one-time or recurring?
- Branding and packing: Are logos, cases, labels, cartons or special packing included?
- Origin handling: Who pays pickup, export handling and documentation under the agreed term?
- International transport: What service, shipment size and transit scope are quoted?
- Insurance: Is coverage included, separately purchased or intentionally declined?
- Destination charges: Who pays handling, customs clearance, applicable duty and taxes?
- Final delivery: Does the quote reach the port, warehouse or actual receiving address?
- Inspection: Is a requested third-party or pre-shipment check separately charged?
Do not merge confirmed prices with rough estimates without labeling them. If you will compare offers in different currencies, document the conversion basis and date. Any later exchange-rate change can alter the final budget.
Import duties and taxes depend on the destination, product classification and transaction. Some tax amounts may be recoverable for a particular business; others may not be. Ask your customs or tax specialist which amounts belong in your decision budget. Do not copy a generic tariff percentage from another buyer’s shipment.
Use a comparable per-frame figure
For a first pass, add the applicable charges above to get an order total, then divide by the quantity the quotation covers. Keep one-time development charges separate in the worksheet even if you allocate them for a first-order comparison. A repeat order may have a different cost structure.
If inspection or actual delivery reveals rejected or missing frames, update the calculation using the accepted quantity and any confirmed recovery or replacement costs. Do not assume a defect rate in advance. The point is to avoid presenting an incomplete unit price as the total cost per sellable frame.
Our frame sample checklist helps define what needs approval before volume production. Our quotation checklist gives a fuller RFQ comparison format.
Choose a shipping quote for the actual shipment
Freight cost is sensitive to route, weight, shipment size and required arrival timing. DHL Global Forwarding’s freight FAQ advises obtaining a quotation for the specific origin, destination, weight and timing. Do not apply a published per-kilogram figure to your cartons without checking chargeable weight, service and local fees.
Ask for comparable options only when both meet your delivery requirement. Our guide to shipping frames by express, air or sea explains the questions to send a forwarder.
Example: why two quotations need normalization
Imagine Offer A quotes unbranded frames at the factory, while Offer B quotes logo-marked frames delivered to a named destination. These are different scopes. To compare them, either request the same frame-only, origin-based quote from both sellers or add the missing, confirmed services to the appropriate offer. Do not conclude A is cheaper solely from its lower frame line.
The same applies when one quotation includes cases and another omits them. Write the difference on the worksheet before approving the budget. This is an illustrative comparison, not data from an actual supplier.
Request a quote with cost boundaries
Provide the frame model or reference, quantity by model and color, packing and logo requirements, destination, required arrival window and preferred delivery basis if known. If you do not know the best trade term, ask what each offered term includes and get a logistics opinion before comparing totals.
Browse available frame categories and contact us for a model-specific quotation. A useful answer should make the product and cost scope clear, even if a few destination charges still require outside confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Is landed cost the same as factory price plus shipping?
Not necessarily. Applicable branding, packing, insurance, clearance, duty, tax, handling and final delivery may also matter. Avoid double-counting anything already included.
Should I include a one-time tooling charge in the unit figure?
You may allocate it across the first order for budgeting, but show it separately. Do not assume it will recur or disappear on future orders without a written agreement.
Can I calculate exact landed cost before the order is packed?
You can build an estimate from confirmed quotations. Exact freight and import charges may require final shipment details and destination-specific assessment, so keep open lines visible.