Too many catalogues, too little comparison
Indian factories offer a very wide choice, but comparing designs, thicknesses and price tiers across factories can take weeks of messages.
Solutions · Tile importers
Container-ready supply for tile importers
You need the right designs, specifications that hold and a container plan that works — without running a dozen factory conversations. Thorson Tiles is your supplier in India: we select the tiles, plan the container, check every order before loading and invoice you as the exporter.
01Your situation
Importing tiles is a container-sized commitment
Every order ties up capital, warehouse space and months of planning. The questions that matter most are rarely answered by a catalogue PDF.
Specifications that drift
Size, thickness, calibre and packing can differ between a quotation, a sample and the goods that arrive. You need them pinned down in writing.
Container arithmetic
Tiles are heavy. How many square metres fit, how SKUs are mixed and how pallets are loaded all shape your landed cost.
Distance and time zones
Chasing samples, production updates and documents from another continent is slow without someone in India following up.
02What we handle
One supplier, from shortlist to shipping documents
For importers, that typically covers:
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Requirement capture
Your brief turned into a structured specification: format, thickness, finish, look, quantity, destination and Incoterm.
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Shortlisting across partner factories
We work with many manufacturing partners, so you see a wider choice matched to your specification, compared side by side at different price points.
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Samples
Samples of shortlisted designs, with charges and courier costs agreed before dispatch.
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Written quotation
Price basis, Incoterm, packing, estimated timeline, payment terms and validity — in one document.
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Container and loading plan
Weight-based planning for full or mixed containers, including products from different factories, with pallet counts and loading photos where agreed.
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Checks and documents
Our pre-shipment check on every order, plus any inspector you appoint, and export documents from Thorson Tiles as the exporter.
Signature tool · Container planning
Plan the container before the booking
Most surprises in a tile shipment are visible on paper first. This is how we think about a load with you — by weight, by pallet and by SKU.
- 1Headroom. Tile loads usually reach the permitted weight before the container is full by volume.
- 2Pallets. Weight per box and boxes per pallet decide how many pallets can be loaded.
- 3Mixed SKUs. Products, including from different factories, can be combined by pallet, subject to each item’s minimum quantity.
- 4Door end. Loading sequence and stuffing photos can be agreed in advance.
Illustration only. The actual quantity per container depends on format, thickness and packing, and is confirmed in the quotation.
03What to send us
What to include in your enquiry
The more specific the brief, the more useful the first reply. “Not sure yet” is a perfectly good answer — we’ll help you narrow it down.
Share your requirements. We’ll come back with suitable options.
Preparing a formal RFQ? Read how to prepare a tile RFQ.
RFQ
Importer requirement brief
- 01Product typePorcelain, GVT / PGVT, ceramic wall, large-format or outdoor
- 02Formats & thicknesse.g. 60×60 cm, 60×120 cm, and any thickness requirement
- 03Finish & looke.g. matt stone-look, polished marble-look
- 04Quantitym² per SKU, or number of containers
- 05DestinationCountry and port of discharge
- 06IncotermEXW, FOB, CFR, CIF, DAP — or “not sure”
- 07Market requirementsStandards, slip resistance, labelling, documents
- 08TimingWhen you need goods in your warehouse
Reference photos, drawings or competitor samples help — you can share them once we reply.
04Deliverables & next steps
What you receive, step by step
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Clarifying questions
So the brief is complete before anyone quotes — saving a round of revisions later.
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A shortlist of options
Designs and formats from the ranges of our partner factories, with the technical information each manufacturer provides.
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Samples
For the designs you want to evaluate, with charges agreed upfront.
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A written quotation
Price basis, Incoterm, packing, estimated timeline, payment terms and validity.
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Order follow-up
Production updates, our pre-shipment check, loading and shipping documents.
05What needs factory confirmation
We confirm before we commit you
Confirmed with the factory before you commit
We would rather confirm than assume. These points are always checked with manufacturing partners and stated in writing before you place an order.
- Availability of specific designs, sizes and finishes at the time of order
- MOQ per design, and the loading plan for a mixed container
- Packing data — pieces and m² per box, weight per box, boxes per pallet
- Production and dispatch timelines, which depend on partner factory schedules and vessel availability
- Technical values such as water absorption, slip resistance and breaking strength, from the manufacturer’s own test reports
- Any certification or document your market requires
What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
MOQ is set per product by the manufacturing partner. It depends on the format, finish and design, and on whether the order comes from existing stock or needs a new production run. Many export orders are planned around a full container load.
Share your target quantity and we will confirm the applicable minimums at quotation.
Can I mix different sizes or designs in one container?
Yes — subject to each product’s minimum quantity, availability at the partner factory and a workable loading plan. Because tiles are heavy, a mixed container has to be planned by weight as well as by pallet count.
We can also combine products from more than one partner factory in one container. The loading plan and any extra cost are confirmed at quotation.
How many square metres fit in a container?
It depends on the format, thickness and packing of each product. Tiles are dense, so a container usually reaches its permitted weight before it is full by volume. The quantity per container is therefore worked out per product — and per mix of products — and confirmed in the quotation.
Do you quote FOB or CIF?
Quotations can be prepared on the Incoterm you prefer, subject to agreed scope — for example FOB at an Indian port of loading, or CFR / CIF to your destination port. EXW and delivered terms such as DAP can also be discussed.
The quotation states exactly which costs and responsibilities are included. Our Incoterms explainer summarises the differences.
What are typical lead times?
Lead time depends on whether the products are in stock or need a production run, the order size, the partner factory’s production schedule, any custom packing, and vessel schedules from the port of loading.
We confirm an estimated production and dispatch timeline at quotation and keep you updated as the order progresses. We do not quote fixed timelines before the manufacturer has confirmed them.
Which export documents are provided?
Export shipments commonly include a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and, where required, a certificate of origin. Other documents — test reports, fumigation or phytosanitary certificates for wooden pallets, or market-specific paperwork — depend on the product, the Incoterm and your country’s requirements.
Tell us your destination early and confirm import requirements with your customs broker; the documents included are listed in the quotation.
Planning a container? Start with the brief.
Tell us the formats, finishes, quantities and destination you have in mind, and we’ll come back with suitable options and a container quotation. Final availability, MOQ, lead time and specifications are confirmed at quotation.