Injection molding with the tooling in your name and a first article before production.
Molded parts are where the re-quote moves the most lines: no Section 232, a 25-point duty gap between a List 1–3 part from China and a 12.5% origin (the whole stack, MFN included, against an FTA-qualifying one), and factories at every origin that run the same presses. We qualify the molder, own the inspection, and title the tool to you.
A molded part, re-quoted from China and other countries.
The illustrative sheet below is the format every client receives. Duty is the difference: 40.0% on the China-origin gasket (MFN 2.5% + 25% List 3 + 12.5% Section 301), 15.0% at a 12.5% origin, 0% at an FTA-qualifying origin — $23,040 a year, 11% after our fee, on 120,000 units.
| Per unit | China | Alt. origin 12.5% duty | Alt. origin FTA, 0% |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOB price | $1.20 | $1.26 | $1.38 |
| Duty, per HTS code | $0.48 (40.0%) | $0.19 (15.0%) | $0.00 (0%) |
| Freight to your dock (Dallas here) | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.03 |
| Landed cost | $1.74 | $1.52 | $1.41 |
| Our fee, 10% of FOB | — | $0.13 | $0.14 |
| All-in, fee included | $1.74 | $1.65 | $1.55 |
| Annual, all-in | $208,800 | $197,520 | $185,760 |
What our molding partners run.
Tooling
Prototype aluminum, P20 and H13 hardened steel; single to 32-cavity; hot-runner and cold-runner; family tools. Tool life guaranteed in shots and written into the agreement.
Processes
Conventional, insert and overmolding, 2-shot, gas-assist, thin-wall. Press sizes 50–1,600 tons. In-mold labeling and decorating on request.
Secondary operations
Ultrasonic welding, heat staking, pad printing, painting, assembly and kitting, custom packaging.
Inspection
DFM report before the tool is cut; T1–T3 sample review; cavity-by-cavity FAI; in-process sampling; AQL 2.5/4.0 pre-shipment; retained golden sample.
Volumes
Best from 10,000 to several million parts a year. Blanket orders with monthly releases once the part is stable.
Compliance
RoHS, REACH, Prop 65 declarations; FDA food-contact and UL-listed resins where required; UFLPA traceability on resin and masterbatch.
Three things we settle before a mold is cut.
Ownership and transfer
Title to you, with photos and serials; the factory signs a tooling-hold agreement; the transfer procedure is written, including who pays for crating and shipping if the work moves.
Guaranteed life and maintenance
Tool life in shots, a preventive-maintenance schedule, and who pays for refurbishment. A hardened multi-cavity tool amortized over its guaranteed life is usually cheaper per part than a cheap tool replaced twice.
Cosmetic and dimensional spec
Critical dimensions, allowable defects by surface class, color standard and Delta-E, gate location — all agreed at DFM and inspected against at FAI and every reorder.
Questions we get on this
Who owns the mold?
You do. The tool is titled to you in the supply agreement with photos and serial numbers, and the transfer procedure is written down before it is cut. If you ever move the work, the mold moves with you.
Can you move an existing mold from our current factory?
Usually, yes, if you own it. We assess the tool’s condition, arrange transfer and re-validation, and run a new first article at the receiving factory. Sometimes a worn tool is better replaced than moved; we’ll tell you which.
How do you control color and cosmetic consistency across reorders?
A retained golden sample in three places, a written cosmetic spec (allowable flash, sink, splay, gate vestige, Delta-E to the color standard), and an AQL pre-shipment inspection against it. Reorders that don’t match the sample don’t ship.
Which resins can you source?
Commodity and engineering resins: PP, PE, ABS, PC, PC/ABS, nylon 6/66 (glass-filled), POM, TPE/TPU, PBT, and UV-stabilized or flame-retardant grades. Named-brand resin (e.g. Sabic, Covestro) is available at a premium and confirmed by lot certificate.
Send us your top five SKUs. Get every viable origin back.
No commitment. In ten business days you’ll have a landed-cost comparison you can put in front of your CFO, with named factories behind every number.