What it is
MOQ (minimum order quantity) is the smallest order a supplier is willing to accept for a given product, material, or process. It exists because setup cost, machine changeovers, material pack sizes, and margin thresholds often make very small runs uneconomical.
How to talk about it
If your ideal quantity is below a factory’s MOQ, ask what drives the limit: material MOQ, tooling amortisation, or scheduling. Sometimes phased orders, shared materials, or simplified variants can bridge the gap—sometimes not.
Be upfront about growth intent. A factory evaluating a long-term relationship may respond differently than one pricing a one-off job.
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