Mix specifications in one 40HC
One or two specifications per container are usual; three to six by agreement, each in its own labelled packs. This is the trial order most buyers choose.
Trade terms
Plywood MOQ, payment terms and FOB Hai Phong delivery
Minh Thanh Plywood ships from one 40HC container, with mixed specifications by agreement. We take a 30% deposit and the 70% balance against the scanned bill of lading, by T/T or irrevocable L/C at sight. Production starts when the deposit arrives, and we quote FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF.
1 × 40HCPlywood MOQ
30 / 70Deposit / balance on B/L
15–45 daysProduction
FOB · CFR · CIFHai Phong port
Terms valid from October 2026 · updated 5 October 2026
Watch first
Plywood MOQ, payment and FOB Hai Phong in two minutes
Terms at a glance
Our plywood trade terms in one table
One 40HC is the minimum order, with one or two specifications as standard and three to six by agreement. Payment is 30% deposit and 70% against the scanned B/L, or an irrevocable L/C at sight; production starts on the deposit, and we deliver FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF.
| Term | Our standard | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order | 1 × 40HC | About 990 sheets of 18 mm Styrax-core plywood, about 53 m³. |
| Specifications per container | 1–2 as standard, 3–6 by agreement | A first container can test several faces or thicknesses. |
| Payment | 30% deposit, 70% against scanned B/L | You pay the balance after the goods are on board. |
| Payment methods | T/T or irrevocable L/C at sight | Bank protection on the L/C when you want it. |
| Production | Starts on the deposit | Thin premium faces and custom specifications take longest; full lead time below. |
| Delivery terms | FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF | Risk passes to you on board at Hai Phong. |
| Documents | Invoice, packing list, B/L, C/O (EUR.1 for the EU), phytosanitary, fumigation | Compliance files agreed before you confirm the order. |
| Samples | Free samples | Test the face, core and glue before you order. |
| Replies | Within hours | By email or WhatsApp, Monday–Friday, Vietnam time. |
Plywood MOQ
Plywood MOQ: one 40HC container
Our plywood MOQ is one 40HC container, and that one container can carry several specifications.
Our plywood MOQ is one 40HC container. Every order carries the same fixed work: press set-up and glue mix for each specification, fumigation, export customs, the document set and one truck to Hai Phong. Spread over a full 40HC, that cost per m³ stays low, and so does the freight per m³.
A container usually carries one or two specifications. Three to six can share one container by agreement, so a first order can test several faces, thicknesses or glues at once. Each specification fills whole export packs of about 1,000 mm of sheets, so the smallest line in a mixed load is one pack.
Order size and specification move both the price and the lead time. A full container of one standard specification, such as 18 mm Poplar on Styrax core, runs as one press programme and gets the best price per m³. Custom sizes, rare faces, thin 4 mm premium panels or a six-line mixed load need more set-ups. They cost more per m³ and take longer in the press.
- Plywood MOQ
- 1 × 40HC.
- Specifications per container
- Usually 1–2; 3–6 by agreement.
- Smallest line in a mixed load
- One export pack, about 1,000 mm of sheets.
- Best price per m³
- Full container of one standard specification.
- Sizes
- 1220 × 2440, 1250 × 2500 mm, custom sizes and cut-to-size.
What fits in one 40HC
What one 40HC of plywood holds
A 40HC of our plywood carries 15–18 packs: 18 with our white Styrax core (about 53 m³) and 15 with our Eucalyptus core (about 43 m³). With the heavier core the payload, not the space, sets the limit. Each pack is about 1,000 mm of sheets, so 18 mm Styrax-core panels give 55 sheets per pack.
| Core | Packs per 40HC | Sheets per pack (18 mm) | Panel volume | 18 mm sheets | 9 mm sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Styrax (white), our standard furniture core | 18 | 55 | about 53 m³ | 990 | 1,998 |
| Eucalyptus, our dense core | 15 | 53 (payload-limited) | about 43 m³ | 795 | 1,605 |
| Acacia, for comparison (common in Vietnamese mills) | 16 | 55 | about 47 m³ | 880 | 1,776 |
Planning figures for a 28,000 kg payload of panels; packing weight comes on top. With Eucalyptus each pack carries a few sheets less so the load stays within the payload. The packing calculator works out any thickness, size and payload.
Smaller first order
Less than a container?
Our minimum is one 40HC, but it does not have to be one product: buyers test several specifications in one container, or start with free samples.
Start with free samples
Test the face, core and glue on your own line before you commit to a container.
LCL through your forwarder
Your forwarder can collect a few packs at Hai Phong and consolidate them with other cargo. LCL costs more per m³ than a full container, and the packs are handled again at the consolidation warehouses, where corners and faces get knocked.
From trial to repeat orders
From a trial container to repeat orders
After the first container, repeat orders run faster and more flexibly. The approved specification is on file, the press programme is known, and we book your containers into the production schedule ahead of time.
Approved specification on file
Face, core, glue, thickness tolerance and packing from your first order become the reference, so a repeat order is quoted and scheduled within hours.
Planned monthly loads
Buyers who order one or more containers a month get press time booked ahead, which keeps their production time at the short end of our range.
More lines per container
Regular buyers mix more specifications per container by agreement, to restock several faces or thicknesses at once.
Plywood payment terms
Plywood payment terms: 30% deposit, 70% against scanned B/L
You pay the balance only after your plywood is loaded and you hold the scanned bill of lading. We accept T/T, and an irrevocable L/C at sight when you prefer bank protection.
Most Vietnamese plywood mills work on a T/T deposit with the balance against a copy of the bill of lading, or on an L/C at sight. Ours: 30% deposit, 70% against the scanned B/L, so you pay the balance only after your plywood is on board.
- 01Proforma invoiceSpecification, quantity, price, delivery term and port agreed in writing.
- 0230% deposit by T/TProduction is scheduled when the deposit arrives. The production clock starts here.
- 03Production and QCPanels checked against the agreed specification; every shipment photographed and filmed before loading.
- 04Loading at Hai PhongDraft shipping documents sent for your approval after packing.
- 0570% balance against scanned B/LWe send the scanned bill of lading; buyers usually pay the balance within about ten days.
- 06Original documentsOriginal B/L, C/O and the agreed compliance files go to you by courier or through your bank.
Prefer bank protection?We also accept an irrevocable L/C at sight: your bank pays when the shipping documents match the credit.
Paying a new supplier
Is a 30% plywood deposit safe with a new supplier?
Yes, when the structure protects you. With 30% deposit and 70% against the scanned B/L, most of the money moves only after your plywood is on board. The loading photos and video reach you before that payment.
Check the factory before the first deposit. Ask for a live video call from the press hall, dated production photos and the numbers on our emission test reports. Pay only to the company account on the proforma invoice, after confirming the bank details by phone.
Prefer bank protection on a first order? An irrevocable L/C at sight lets your bank pay only when the shipping documents match the credit. L/Cs follow the ICC's UCP 600 rules, so agree the document list with us before your bank issues it.
We do not offer D/P, D/A, usance L/C or open account. Those terms put the cargo on the water before anyone has paid, and the cost of that risk would go into every buyer's price. T/T against the B/L and an L/C at sight keep the price low and the risk balanced.
- Offered
- T/T: 30% deposit, 70% against scanned B/L.
- Offered
- Irrevocable L/C at sight.
- Not offered
- D/P, D/A, usance L/C, open account.
- Before the first payment
- Confirm bank details by phone with Lisa.
Production and transit
Plywood lead time: production plus sea transit
Production takes 15–45 days after the deposit. Add sea transit from Hai Phong: about 20–30 days to the US West Coast, 25–35 days to the Mediterranean, 30–40 days to Northern Europe and 35–45 days to the US East Coast on typical direct services.
| Destination | Typical transit | Plan with |
|---|---|---|
| South-East Asia | About 5–12 days | Production + about two weeks. |
| Japan, Korea | About 2–3 weeks | Production + about three weeks. |
| Middle East | About 15–25 days | Production + about three to four weeks. |
| US West Coast | About 20–30 days | Production + about four weeks. |
| Mediterranean (Italy, Spain) | About 25–35 days | Production + about five weeks. |
| Northern Europe (Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg) | About 30–40 days | Production + about five to six weeks. |
| US East Coast | About 35–45 days | Production + about six weeks. |
| West Africa | About 35–50 days | Production + about six to seven weeks. |
What lengthens production: custom sizes and faces that need their own run, thin 4 mm premium panels (good thin veneer is scarce and we do not lower the standard to go faster), and the busy months before the European and US furniture seasons. A CFR or CIF quote names the sailing; on FOB your forwarder books it.
Who arranges each leg
FOB, CFR and CIF from our factory to your port
The three terms differ only in who books the sea freight and the insurance. The risk moves to you at the same point under all three: when the container is on board at Hai Phong.
Factory, Ha HoaTruck to Hai PhongExport customsOn board at Hai PhongSea freightInsuranceYour port
FOBWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeYou arrangeYou arrangeYou arrangeYou book the ship and insure the cargo.
CFRWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeYou arrangeYou arrangeWe book the ship; you insure.
CIFWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeWe arrangeYou arrangeWe book the ship and the minimum insurance.
We arrangeYou arrangeRisk passes to you here
FOB Hai Phong plywood
FOB Hai Phong plywood, CFR or CIF: who arranges what
We load every container at Hai Phong, the main container port of northern Vietnam, a road haul from our factory in Ha Hoa, Phu Tho. Choose the term that matches how you buy freight.
Choose FOB Hai Phong if you already have a forwarder or your own freight rate; choose CFR or CIF for a first order or when you want one delivered-to-port price. We quote only these three terms. EXW would leave you to arrange Vietnamese export customs and trucking yourself, so we do not quote it.
| Term | We arrange | You arrange | Risk passes to you | Suits buyers who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOB Hai Phong | Production, export packing, haulage to Hai Phong, export customs, loading on your vessel | Ocean freight, insurance, destination charges, import clearance. | On board at Hai Phong | have their own forwarder or freight contract. |
| CFR (CNF) | Everything in FOB, plus ocean freight to your port | Insurance, destination charges, import clearance. | On board at Hai Phong | insure cargo under their own policy. |
| CIF | Everything in CFR, plus marine insurance (minimum cover under Incoterms 2020) | Destination charges, import clearance and duties. | On board at Hai Phong | want one price delivered to their port. |
Under CIF the seller buys minimum marine cover (Institute Cargo Clauses C); buyers who want wider cover ask for it in the quote or insure under their own policy on CFR. Incoterms® 2020 rules, ICC ↗
FOB versus CIF quotes
How to compare an FOB and a CIF plywood quote
Bring both quotes to the same point: CIF equals FOB plus ocean freight plus minimum marine insurance. Ask each mill for the freight line on its own, then add the costs that neither price includes.
Compare an FOB quote with a CIF quote only after adding your forwarder's freight and insurance to the FOB price. If the CIF price is lower than FOB plus a fair freight, check the sailing, the transshipment and the insurance cover.
Neither FOB nor CIF covers the costs at your end: terminal handling at the destination port, customs clearance, import duty under your tariff code, and trucking to your warehouse. Budget them the same way for every supplier you compare.
- CIF price
- FOB + ocean freight + minimum insurance.
- Not in FOB, CFR or CIF
- Destination THC, clearance, import duty, inland delivery.
- Freight
- Follows the carrier's rate at booking.
- Quote date
- Every quote is dated.
Loading port
FOB Hai Phong plywood: why we load at Hai Phong
Hai Phong is the main container port of northern Vietnam and the nearest deep-water port to our factory in Ha Hoa, Phu Tho, a road haul away. Every container we ship is loaded and cleared there.
Northern Vietnam's plywood mills ship through Hai Phong because the main carriers call there each week with direct and transshipment services to Europe, the Americas and Asia. Our trucks deliver loaded containers to the port, export customs is cleared there, and under FOB the goods are yours once they are on board.
For FOB Hai Phong plywood, your forwarder books the vessel and tells us the cut-off date; we deliver the container and documents on time. For CFR and CIF we book the sailing and name it in the quote.
- Loading port
- Hai Phong, northern Vietnam.
- Factory
- Ha Hoa, Phu Tho.
- Export customs
- Cleared by us under FOB, CFR and CIF.
- Vessel booking
- Your forwarder (FOB) or us (CFR, CIF).
Shipping documents
Documents with every shipment
Compliance files are agreed and sent before you confirm the order, so they match the panel you buy. Draft shipping documents follow for approval after packing.
Commercial invoice and packing list
Every specification listed with its packs, sheets and m³.
Bill of lading
Scanned copy sent at loading; the balance is due against it.
Certificate of origin
Form EUR.1 for shipments to the European Union.
Phytosanitary and fumigation
Plant health and fumigation papers for the packing.
Insurance certificate
With CIF shipments.
Compliance files agreed before you confirm
CARB P2 / TSCA Title VI test reports, the EUDR compliance dossier (origin records and geolocation files) and the SGS PPWR packaging test. All matched to the panel in the order.
US formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood ↗EUDR, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 ↗PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 ↗
Export packing and proof
Export packing, loading photos and the people behind the terms
Every specification goes in its own labelled export pack: sheets on a pallet base, wrapped, cornered and strapped, about 1,000 mm high. Every shipment is photographed and filmed before loading, and you get the photos and video.
Packs are wrapped in cardboard or film with corner protectors and steel or plastic straps, and each pack carries a label with the specification and sheet count. Export pallets, your own labels and edge marking are available on order.
We do not overload. A 40HC takes 18 packs of Styrax-core plywood: 16 lying flat, two high, and 2 standing at the door end. Faces stay flat and edges stay square because no pack is squeezed in to fill a gap.
Lisa, our export sales contact, answers on WhatsApp (+84 988 586 601) and by email within hours on working days, and sends the loading photos and video before the balance is due.
- Pack
- About 1,000 mm of sheets on a pallet base.
- Protection
- Cardboard or film, corner protectors, straps.
- Labels
- Specification and sheet count; your own labels on order.
- Proof
- Photos and video of every shipment before loading.
- Contact
- Lisa, export sales, WhatsApp +84 988 586 601.
Plywood quote checklist
Send us these seven things for a quote within hours
A complete request gets a dated price, production time and documents list the same day. One line is enough to start.
Face and grade
Birch, Poplar, EV, Okoume, Pine or another face, and the face grade.
Core
White Styrax or Eucalyptus core.
Glue and emission
Glue: UF, MR, melamine-fortified or phenolic WBP; emission class: E0, E1 or CARB P2.
Thickness and size
3–40 mm; 1220 × 2440, 1250 × 2500 mm, custom or cut-to-size.
Quantity
Containers, or m³ per specification for a mixed load.
Port and delivery term
Destination port and FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF.
Documents
Emission test reports, EUDR geolocation files, PPWR test summary, C/O.
Samples and production time
Free samples before the first order
Free samples of the face, core and glue you want to test, before you order.
Ask every mill you are comparing for samples of the same specification: face and grade, core, glue, thickness and size. Then the samples line up like the quotes do.
Test what matters on your line. Check the face colour and grain under your finish, the edge for core gaps and the thickness with a caliper. Then see how the panel takes your glue, edge band or UV coat.
- Samples
- Free samples.
- Compare
- Same face, core, glue, thickness and size from every mill.
- Check
- Face, edge, thickness, finish on your line.
- Replies
- Within hours, by email or WhatsApp.
Questions
Trade terms questions
Questions on terms?
Lisa, export sales, answers on WhatsApp +84 988 586 601 or by email, Monday–Friday 08:00–17:00 Vietnam time.
Get a plywood quoteWhat is the MOQ for plywood from Vietnam?
Our MOQ is one 40HC container. Mixed specifications in one container are possible by agreement.
Can I order less than one container?
Our MOQ is one 40HC. Mix up to six specifications in it, start with free samples, or have your own forwarder consolidate our packs with other cargo.
What payment terms do you accept for plywood?
30% deposit by T/T and 70% against the scanned bill of lading. We also accept an irrevocable L/C at sight.
How long does shipping from Hai Phong take?
About 20–30 days to the US West Coast, 25–35 days to the Mediterranean, 30–40 days to Northern Europe and 35–45 days to the US East Coast on typical direct services, after production. A CFR or CIF quote names the sailing; on FOB your forwarder books it.
Is a 30% deposit safe for a first order?
You pay the balance only after loading, against the scanned B/L, and every shipment is photographed and filmed before it leaves. An irrevocable L/C at sight is available if you want bank protection.
What does FOB Hai Phong include?
Production, export packing, haulage to Hai Phong, export customs clearance and loading on the vessel you book. Freight and insurance from Hai Phong are yours.
Do you ship CFR or CIF to my port?
Yes. Name the destination port and we quote CFR or CIF to it, with the date of the freight rate.
How many sheets of plywood fit in a 40ft container?
About 990 sheets of 18 mm Styrax-core plywood (1220 × 2440 mm) in 18 packs, about 53 m³. Our denser Eucalyptus core loads 15 packs (about 795 sheets) within a 28 t payload. The packing calculator gives any thickness.
Can I mix different cores in one container?
Yes, by agreement. Heavier cores such as Eucalyptus reach the payload sooner, so each core is planned in its own packs.
Should I buy FOB or CIF?
FOB Hai Phong if you have a forwarder or your own freight rate; CFR or CIF if you want us to book the ship. CIF includes minimum insurance cover, which many buyers top up.
Work with Minh Thành Plywood
Send your specification and port.
We reply within hours with a dated price FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF, the production time and the documents for your market.