LCL or FCL: when groupage ends up costing more

Key parameters

Power	20–60 W
Luminous flux	2,600–7,800 lm
Dimensions	600 / 1200 / 1500 mm
Indicative HS code	9405 (lamps and lighting fittings)
MOQ	500 pcs per model
Packing	6 pcs per carton (1200 mm)
Container type	LCL / 20GP / 40HQ
Loading quantity	groupage quoted from 1–8 m³

Product family: Tri-Proof Lights

Classification, MOQ, packing: three items

The items that cause trouble in export paperwork are not the invoice but the classification and the packing. This page gives the product-side parameters and an indicative code; the final classification, duty rate and required documents are confirmed by the customs broker and the destination customs. Our part is having the description, materials, use and photometric data ready so the questions stop bouncing back.

Packing works the same way: neutral and branded differ in the shipping mark, the manual and the label, and changing one means stopping the line. If the order may become private label later, say so when ordering — after production the cost is a rebuild, not an adjustment.

How MOQ and mixed loading actually work

MOQ is not a capacity limit but a changeover cost: every changeover re-sets the printing, the machine program and the first-article check. So adding volume to one model is far cheaper than spreading small quantities across models — quoting a full year of demand at once usually beats squeezing a single order.

Packing: 6 pcs per carton (1200 mm). Mixed containers work, but plan by carton count rather than by SKU count — fix the cartons and volume per model first, then lay out the container. When carton sizes differ the last row often goes out partly empty, and that loss usually costs more than ordering a little extra.

Four things to verify before ordering

① Whether flux and efficacy are quoted for the complete fixture or the light source — a 10–15% difference that changes the fixture count. ② Whether colour temperature and CRI are measured or nominal values; mixed CCT within one batch is the most common arrival dispute. ③ Driver brand and model, plus its derating curve at high temperature — it is the only part that really sets life. ④ The mounting kit list: chain, bracket and anchors in the box, or the site stops for a day.