How a container
of plywood is priced.
No price per panel is published, because the number moves with five things that change from order to order. This page shows what each one does to the quote — so two offers can be compared on the same basis instead of on two different ones.
What moves the number
| Variable | What it covers | Direction |
| Thickness | 12 mm uses less veneer and glue than 18 mm for the same panel area; the press cycle is shorter | Higher thickness, higher price per panel |
| Film weight and face | 60 g/m² phenolic film for the black line; a red-dyed film for the red line. Film is bought by weight and pressed under heat | Heavier film or phenolic face, higher price |
| Core mix and glue | Combi core of eucalyptus, pine and fir versus a cheaper poplar core; WBP phenolic versus melamine | Declared mix and phenolic glue cost more and last longer |
| Panels per container | The 40HQ is limited by about 28.5 t payload, so ocean freight is spread over however many panels fit | Fewer panels in the box, higher cost per panel |
| Terms and port | FOB Xiamen excludes ocean freight and destination charges; CIF includes freight, insurance and the charges we can quote | CIF adds to the unit cost; FOB leaves the freight to the buyer |
| Exchange rate | Panels are costed in RMB and sold in USD; the rate on the day the quote is issued is the rate used | Moves both ways; a quote is valid seven days |
One number would mislead the buyer it attracts
A published price has to assume one thickness, one film weight, one container mix and one port. The buyer who arrives with a different mix then spends the first three emails discovering that the published number was never his number. A quotation built from his mix, his count and his port answers the question he actually asked.
It also protects the buyer on the day the film or the freight moves: a price printed on a website cannot be adjusted, and a supplier who cannot adjust it eventually ships something else to keep the margin.
Fixed, and short
One 40HQ minimum. 100 % T/T before loading. Quotation valid seven days from issue. FOB Xiamen as standard, CIF to your port on request.
Inspection before loading is welcome — your inspector or SGS/BV, at the plant, before the container is sealed.
Send a mix and get a quoteFive lines to send us
One email with these five lines produces a quote that can be compared against any other supplier without a follow-up round:
01 Thickness mix
How many panels of each thickness, e.g. 600 at 18 mm and 300 at 12 mm.
02 Face and film
Black phenolic or red-dyed; if a film weight is specified on your drawing, quote it as written.
03 Destination
Port of discharge, and whether you want FOB Xiamen or CIF.
04 Packing and marks
Pallet spec, logo printing, shipping marks — anything that changes the packing line.
05 Documents
Certificate of origin, fumigation, third-party inspection — listed up front rather than added later.
06 Timing
When the container has to be on the water; production is confirmed in writing on the PI.
When two quotes are not the same quote
A lower number is only lower if it describes the same object. Four lines decide whether two offers can be compared at all:
| Core declared | “Combi core” with the species named, versus a bare “plywood core” that is usually poplar |
| Film stated by weight | 60 g/m² on the roll versus “black film” with no figure; the finished weight should also be declared |
| Terms identical | FOB against FOB, CIF against CIF — and the same destination port |
| Panels identical | The same thickness mix and the same panel count, otherwise freight is being spread over a different denominator |
| Evidence attached | A report number for the mechanical values, and a loading photograph for the quantity claimed |
Our own figures are on the specifications page and the report numbers on the quality page. If a competing quote cannot produce the same five lines, the price difference is not a price difference.
Three buyers ask every month
Is the lowest price per panel the lowest cost per pour?
Only if the panels last the same number of pours. Cost per pour is the panel price divided by the reuse count, plus what you spend keeping the face alive — edge re-painting after site cuts, washing instead of sanding, flat dry storage. A cheaper panel that gives three pours can cost more per square metre of finished concrete than one that gives eight.
Can you hold a price for a month?
Seven days. Film, glue and ocean freight are bought on a rolling basis, so a longer hold would have to carry a margin that the buyer pays for whether or not the market moves.
Do you quote CIF?
Yes, once the destination port and the local charges are confirmed. The CIF figure is built from the FOB price plus ocean freight, insurance and the charges at origin, so it is quoted as a landed number rather than estimated.