B2B Cashmere Procurement: 9 Steps From RFQ to Container (Timeline + Checkpoints)

A B2B cashmere order, from the first RFQ to the container loaded at Tianjin port, takes 90 to 150 calendar days for a typical 1,000-5,000 piece program. The variation comes from the 9 steps each order has to pass through and the 5 checkpoints where most orders go wrong — specification drift, color-matching rejection, payment term confusion, pre-shipment inspection failure. Knowing the steps and the checkpoints before you start is the difference between a smooth first order and a six-month delay.

This page walks through the 9 steps in calendar order, what each step actually takes in days at a typical Ordos mill, the 5 checkpoints where orders typically go wrong and how to prevent them, and a sourcing checklist you can copy into your next RFQ. The framework is the same whether you are sourcing raw fiber, finished yarn, woven fabric, or finished garments — the timeline is shorter for upstream products but the checkpoints are similar.

The 9 steps, with typical calendar days

#	Step	Typical days	Owner
1	Inquiry + brief preparation	2-5	Buyer
2	Supplier shortlist + RFQ dispatch	3-7	Buyer
3	Quote receipt + first comparison	5-10	Buyer
4	Sample request + approval	15-30	Buyer + Mill
5	Order confirmation + deposit	3-7	Buyer + Mill
6	Bulk production (yarn + knit + finish)	45-90	Mill
7	Pre-shipment inspection	3-5	Buyer (or 3rd-party)
8	Container loading + export documents	5-10	Mill + Freight forwarder
9	Ocean transit + arrival at destination port	18-35	Freight forwarder

Total: roughly 95-200 days from first RFQ to goods arriving at destination port. For a 1,000 piece garment program at 7-12 gauge knitwear, the typical timeline is 110-130 days from inquiry to arrival.

Step 1: Inquiry + brief preparation

Before you contact any factory, you need a brief that the factory can quote against. A useful cashmere brief has these components:

• Product category: finished garment, finished yarn, dehaired top, woven fabric
• Quantity: target pieces (garment) or kg (fiber/yarn/fabric), broken down by size and color if applicable
• Yarn specification: count (e.g., 2/26 Nm, 2/48 Nm), ply, fiber blend (100% cashmere, or cashmere/wool blend with percentages), color (stock or Pantone-matched)
• Knit specification (for garments): gauge, stitch type, key measurements, trims, finishing (machine wash, hand wash, dry clean)
• Quality standards: AQL acceptance level (1.0 / 2.5 / 4.0), fiber micron range if specified, certificate requirements (OEKO-TEX, GCS)
• Target price: per-piece FOB or per-kg, with or without duty
• Delivery date: required date at destination port
• Payment terms preferred: T/T, L/C, Open Account, or other

If you do not have some of these defined (e.g., you do not know what yarn count to specify), that is normal for a first RFQ. The brief should still include the categories so the factory can ask the right questions back, and so the factory knows your target market.

Step 2: Supplier shortlist + RFQ dispatch

For most B2B cashmere buyers, the supplier shortlist is 3-5 mills. The typical selection criteria:

• Region of origin: Ordos (Inner Mongolia), Nepal, Tibet, or other. The choice depends on your fiber preference (see our origin comparison).
• Product category fit: not every mill does everything. Some mills specialize in raw fiber and yarn, others in finished knitwear, others in woven fabric.
• Capacity: a mill with 1,000+ ton annual capacity can support a 10,000-piece program; a mill with 100-ton capacity may struggle at 2,000 pieces.
• Certifications: OEKO-TEX 100, Good Cashmere Standard, ISO 9001, BSCI. For EU buyers, the relevant certifications are EU-specific (DPP-ready, Green Claims compliance).
• Communication responsiveness: a mill that responds within 24 hours to your first RFQ will be much easier to work with during bulk production than one that takes 3-5 days to reply.

The RFQ itself is the same brief you prepared in Step 1, sent as a structured email or RFQ form to all shortlisted mills on the same day, with a clear deadline for quote return (typically 5-7 working days).

Step 3: Quote receipt + first comparison

A useful quote is structured. A typical cashmere mill quote includes:

• Per-piece or per-kg price, broken down by FOB component, ocean freight, and any optional costs (Pantone-matching, special packaging, certificates)
• Yarn cost, knitting cost, finishing cost, trim cost, packaging cost — broken out separately
• MOQ per style/color
• Lead time from order confirmation to ex-factory
• Payment terms (typically 30% deposit + 70% balance, or L/C at sight, or staged payments)
• Validity of the quote (typically 30 days)
• Sample cost (free or paid, refundable against bulk order)

The comparison should normalize all quotes to the same basis (FOB Tianjin, per-piece at the same quantity, same yarn spec, same Pantone reference if applicable). Two quotes are not comparable if one is FOB and the other is CIF, or if one quotes 2/26 Nm and the other quotes 2/36 Nm at the same per-piece price.

Step 4: Sample request + approval

Once you have shortlisted 2-3 mills from the quote comparison, the next step is sample. Cashmere samples typically fall into three categories:

• Yarn sample: a 50-100g cone of the proposed yarn, dyed to the agreed color. Lead time 7-15 days.
• Knit-down sample (hand-knit or single-piece machine knit): a small swatch or single finished piece at the proposed gauge and stitch. Lead time 15-25 days.
• Counter sample / production sample: a piece knit on the same machine that will run the bulk production, with the bulk yarn. Lead time 25-40 days.

For most first orders, the sample sequence is yarn sample → knit-down → counter sample. The buyer approves each step before the next one is started. Skipping straight to counter sample without yarn approval is one of the most common causes of color-rejection at pre-shipment inspection.

Step 5: Order confirmation + deposit

Once the sample is approved, the order is confirmed with a formal purchase order or contract. The key elements:

• Total quantity per style/size/color
• Per-piece or per-kg price (matching the quote)
• Total deposit (typically 30% of order value)
• Payment terms (T/T deposit + balance against B/L copy, or L/C at sight, etc.)
• Delivery date (ex-factory date, not arrival date)
• AQL standard for pre-shipment inspection
• Penalty clauses for late delivery or quality failure (optional but recommended for first orders)
• Governing law and dispute resolution (typically ICC arbitration or CIETAC for China-export contracts)

The deposit is typically paid within 3-7 days of order confirmation. Production scheduling at the mill typically starts on receipt of the deposit, not on the PO date.

Step 6: Bulk production

Bulk production at a typical cashmere apparel mill takes 45-90 days for a 1,000-5,000 piece program. The breakdown is roughly:

• Yarn production (spinning + dyeing): 15-25 days
• Knitting: 10-20 days (longer for 12+ gauge knitwear, shorter for 3-7 gauge)
• Linking + finishing: 10-20 days
• Washing + softening + final finishing: 5-10 days
• QC + repair + packaging: 5-10 days

For Pantone-matched custom dye programs, add 15-25 days at the front end for the lab dip → buyer approval → bulk dye cycle. For first orders with a new factory, add 5-10 days for production scheduling delays.

Step 7: Pre-shipment inspection

The pre-shipment inspection (PSI) is the buyer’s last opportunity to reject the order before it ships. It is conducted at the mill’s warehouse, typically when 80-100% of the order is complete and packaged. The buyer can conduct the PSI in person, send a third-party inspection company, or accept the mill’s self-inspection report (not recommended for first orders).

The AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) standard for the PSI should be defined in the purchase order. The most common AQL levels for cashmere:

• AQL 1.0: premium brands, 1.0% defect rate acceptable
• AQL 2.5: standard for most B2B cashmere orders, 2.5% defect rate acceptable
• AQL 4.0: budget or promotional orders, 4.0% defect rate acceptable

A typical PSI on a 1,000 piece program takes 3-5 days on site, with a 2-person inspection team. Common reasons for PSI failure: measurement deviations outside the tolerance, color drift from the approved lab dip, pilling or hand-feel complaints, packaging errors.

Step 8: Container loading + export documents

Once the PSI is passed, the order is packed for export. For garment orders, this typically means polybag + individual box + master carton. For yarn orders, cone packing + carton. For raw fiber, compressed bale + woven outer.

The mill prepares the export document set:

• Commercial invoice
• Packing list
• Bill of lading (B/L) — issued by the freight forwarder
• Certificate of Origin (typically issued by CCPIT in China)
• For EU buyers: EUR.1 movement certificate (if preferential tariff applies)
• Any buyer-required certificates: OEKO-TEX, GCS, fiber composition test report

The buyer pays the balance (70% of order value under T/T terms) against the B/L copy. The mill releases the B/L original only on receipt of payment.

Step 9: Ocean transit + arrival

For shipments from Tianjin (the main cashmere export port), the typical ocean transit times are:

• EU (Hamburg, Rotterdam): 28-32 days
• US West Coast (Long Beach, Oakland): 16-20 days
• US East Coast (New York, Savannah): 26-32 days
• Japan (Yokohama): 4-6 days
• Korea (Busan): 4-6 days

Once the container arrives at the destination port, the buyer’s customs broker handles clearance. For EU imports, this includes CBAM declaration filing (see our CBAM guide). For US imports, UFLPA documentation if required.

The 5 checkpoints where orders go wrong

Based on our experience with B2B buyers over the past 5 years, the 5 most common causes of cashmere order delays or disputes are:

Checkpoint 1: Specification drift in the brief. A brief that says “cashmere sweater” without specifying yarn count, gauge, micron range, or finishing method produces quotes that are not comparable. Fix: include all 7 brief components in Step 1, even if some are approximate. Approximate is fine; missing is not.

Checkpoint 2: Color drift between lab dip and bulk dye. The lab dip is approved by the buyer, but the bulk dye comes out slightly different because the bulk dye bath uses a different fiber lot or different dye concentration. Fix: require the mill to use the same fiber lot for lab dip and bulk dye, and request a pre-bulk dye color sample before bulk production starts.

Checkpoint 3: Payment term confusion at order confirmation. The quote says T/T 30/70 but the contract says L/C at sight. Fix: confirm the payment term in writing before order confirmation, and make sure the PO, the contract, and the proforma invoice all match.

Checkpoint 4: AQL standard not defined. The PSI fails because the AQL standard was not defined in advance, and the mill and buyer disagree on the acceptable defect rate. Fix: include the AQL standard in the PO, ideally AQL 2.5 for most cashmere orders.

Checkpoint 5: Pre-shipment inspection skipped for first orders. The buyer trusts the mill’s self-inspection on a first order, finds a quality issue on arrival at destination. Fix: conduct PSI on every first order, regardless of mill reputation. After 2-3 successful orders, PSI frequency can be reduced to every 2-3 orders.

The RFQ checklist (copy-paste)

Subject: Cashmere [product category] RFQ — [Brand] — [Target delivery date]

1. Product: [e.g., women's cashmere sweater, V-neck, 7 gauge]
2. Quantity: [e.g., 1,000 pieces total — 400 S / 400 M / 200 L in 3 colors]
3. Yarn: [e.g., 2/26 Nm, 100% cashmere, Grade A/B (15.5-16.5 µm)]
4. Color: [e.g., Navy Blue Pantone 19-3926, Transformative Teal Pantone 17-1463, Cloud Dancer Pantone 11-0602]
5. Knit: [e.g., 7 gauge fully-fashioned, STOLL machine]
6. Size set: [attach size chart or reference S/M/L measurements]
7. Trims: [e.g., self-fabric neck ribbing, woven brand label at center back neck]
8. Packaging: [e.g., individual polybag, 5 pcs per master carton]
9. Certificates: [e.g., OEKO-TEX 100, Good Cashmere Standard — buyer will require copies]
10. AQL: [e.g., 2.5 standard inspection]
11. Target FOB price: [USD per piece at 1,000 quantity]
12. Delivery date: [target ex-factory date and/or destination port arrival date]
13. Payment terms: [T/T 30/70 or L/C at sight or other]

Please quote by [date]. Quote should include: per-piece price breakdown, MOQ per color, lead time from order confirmation to ex-factory, payment terms, sample cost and lead time.

Working with us on the 9-step process

At our Ordos mill, we provide a structured response to every RFQ within 24 hours, with a complete quote in 5-7 working days. Our standard RFQ response includes the per-piece price breakdown, the lead time, the sample cost and timeline, and the payment terms. Our PSI protocol is AQL 2.5 by default, with AQL 1.0 available for premium programs.

For more on the actual OEM development process inside the mill, see our 7-stage / 90-day OEM guide. For payment terms in detail, see our B2B payment terms guide. For L/C-specific clauses, see our letter of credit guide.