Why cable MOQ is set per size
Every change of cross-section, core count, colour or sheath on a cable line means a changeover: new dies, new compound, a purge of the extruder, new settings for thickness and diameter, and scrap until the line is stable. For an armoured or multi-core cable there are several lines in sequence: drawing, stranding, insulation, laying-up, bedding, armouring and sheathing. Each set-up costs time and material whether the run is 100 m or 5,000 m.
That is why minimums are stated per size and per construction, not per order. An order of ten sizes at 100 m each is ten changeovers, which is much harder for a plant to schedule than two sizes at 500 m each, even though the total length is the same. A buyer who understands this can usually get a better hearing by consolidating sizes than by asking for a lower minimum.
Copper booking adds a second reason. The plant buys or allocates copper rod for each order once the price is fixed, and a small run still needs the drawing and stranding lines set for that conductor. Routine tests add a third: conductor resistance, a spark or voltage test and dimensional checks are done per production length, so the test cost per metre falls as the run gets longer. None of these costs disappear on a short order; they are simply spread over fewer metres, which is why the plant either sets a minimum or prices the short run higher.
Minimums also differ between plants in the same cluster. A plant that runs a size every week can add your length to an existing run; a plant that rarely makes it has to schedule a special set-up. Asking which sizes a plant makes regularly is often the quickest way to find out where a lower minimum is realistic.
Typical ranges by product
The ranges below come from public trade listings by Chinese cable plants. They are references, not industry standards, and every order's minimum is confirmed in writing for that order.
| Product | Typical minimum (listing reference) | Usual packing unit |
|---|---|---|
| LV power and armoured cable | About 500 m per size; some plants 100 m | Wooden, steel-wood or steel drum |
| Control cable | Often 1,000 m per size | Drum |
| Solar PV cable (H1Z2Z2-K) | From 100 m up to 500-2,000 m, varying by plant | 100 m coils, 500 m wooden drums |
| Cat6 LAN cable | 50-100 boxes common; some plants 10 boxes | 305 m box |
| Outdoor fibre cable | Set by drum length; confirmed per order | 2 km or 4 km wooden drums common |
| FTTH drop cable | Set by reel length; confirmed per order | 1 km reels |
| Building wire | Confirmed per order | 100 m coils common (inference, confirmed per order) |
For product-level detail see the line pages for LV power cables, solar PV cables and LAN and coax cables.
Drums, boxes and coils as hidden minimums
Packing often sets the real minimum. A power cable is wound on a drum whose size depends on the cable's weight and overall diameter. The reference 0.6/1 kV Cu/XLPE/PVC 4x25 mm2 cable has an overall diameter of about 25 mm and weighs about 1,292 kg per km, so a drum of a few hundred metres is already a heavy unit. Drum length per size is set by the drum's capacity and load rating, which we treat as an inference until the plant confirms it.
Wooden drums are often made to order, and drum makers quote around 2-4 weeks for a standard wooden drum order. If your order needs a non-standard drum, that lead time can matter more than the cable itself. LAN cable is simpler: a 305 m box is the unit, so the minimum is counted in boxes. Fibre cable ships on 2 km or 4 km drums, and FTTH drop cable on 1 km reels, so a fibre minimum is effectively one drum length per construction.
Two further points follow from packing. First, if you order 700 m of a size that ships on 500 m drums, you will get either two partial drums or one full and one short drum; decide which in advance, because short drums cost nearly as much to make and handle as full ones. Second, cut lengths for a project schedule should be written as drum lengths on the order, not left to the plant. The packaging and drums page covers drum types and marking.
Small orders and what they cost you
Below the usual minimum, many plants will still help, on different terms. Common practice in public listings is:
- Stock samples: short pieces from existing stock, often up to about 5 m at no charge, with the buyer paying freight.
- Custom sample drums: a paid run of about 10-50 m for a construction made to your spec.
- Small orders: possible on some lines, but the price per metre is usually higher than for a full run, because the changeover cost is spread over fewer metres.
The samples and trial orders guide explains how to use these steps before a first production order.
How to plan a first order around MOQ
- List sizes by priority. Put the two or three sizes that move most at full minimum, and treat the rest as later additions.
- Standardise the construction. One sheath colour and one print layout across sizes reduces changeovers.
- Match packing to your sales unit. Retail coils, distributor drums and project cut lengths are different products.
- Combine lines in one shipment. Several products from one cluster can share a container even if each has its own minimum.
- Get it in writing. Minimum per size, drum length, tolerance on delivered length and the price step for small quantities.
Distributors and wholesalers stocking many sizes usually start with a core range and add sizes on re-orders; the distributors page shows how the desk structures that.
What the desk confirms
For each size on your list, the desk returns the partner factory's minimum, the drum or box unit, and how short lengths are handled, all confirmed in writing for each order. We do not quote a single site-wide minimum because it would be wrong for half of the products. The overview of typical ranges and timing is on the MOQ and lead time page, and you can send your size list through the quote form.