How Much Do Bolts Cost from China? 9 Factors That Set the Price

The price drivers at a glance

1. Steel price and material grade

Fasteners are made from wire rod, so steel price movements pass straight into bolt prices. Carbon steel grade 4.8 is cheapest; 8.8 and 10.9 need medium-carbon, boron or alloy steel plus heat treatment; 12.9 and ASTM A193 B7 need chromium-molybdenum steel. Stainless A2 (304) and A4 (316) cost several times more than carbon steel because of their nickel and molybdenum content. Ask suppliers how long a quote is valid, because steel prices move.

2. Size, weight and the pricing unit

Small sizes are quoted per thousand pieces; large sizes and long bolts are effectively priced by weight. An M12 × 50 bolt weighs about 53 g, an M24 × 100 about 420 g, so the same price per kilogram gives very different prices per piece. Make sure every quote states its unit — per piece, per 1,000 pieces or per kilogram — and convert before comparing. Our dimension charts list weights per 1,000 pieces for common sizes.

3. Surface finish

Plain or black is the base price. Electro-zinc adds a little; hot-dip galvanizing adds more because it is charged by weight and nuts must be tapped oversize; zinc flake and PTFE coatings cost more again. Always state the finish with a full designation and any salt-spray requirement, otherwise one supplier may quote 5 µm zinc and another 12 µm.

4. Quantity per size

Machine set-up is a fixed cost per size. A 500-piece run of one size costs more per piece than 20,000 pieces of the same size. Mixed-size orders are normal for distributors, but each line is priced on its own quantity, so consolidating similar sizes lowers the average price.

5. Standard sizes vs special parts

Standard DIN, ISO and ASTM sizes are often available from stock and ship in about 10–15 days. Non-standard lengths, threads, heads or materials need a production run, typically 25–30 days, and may carry a tooling or sample charge.

6. Packing and labelling

Bulk cartons on pallets are cheapest. Small boxes, private-label printing, barcodes and mixed-carton packing add cost but can save repacking in your warehouse. Export packing for long or heavy items (wooden cases, steel strapping) is also priced separately.

7. Documents and inspection

Mill test certificates (EN 10204 3.1), third-party inspection, special marking or project-specific test reports all add cost. Ask for what your customer or project actually requires. For ASEAN destinations, an ACFTA Form E certificate of origin can lower or remove import duty, so it is worth requesting even though it is a separate document.

8. Freight, Incoterm and payment terms

Incoterms decide who pays for freight and when risk passes. An EXW price is at the supplier's premises; FOB includes loading on the vessel at the Chinese port; CFR and CIF add sea freight (and insurance for CIF) to your port; DAP and DDP deliver to your door, DDP including import duty. Payment terms such as T/T deposit or L/C at sight also affect price. Compare offers on the same Incoterm and the same named port.

9. Import duties and trade measures

Duties can change the landed cost more than any factory price difference. In February 2022 the EU imposed anti-dumping duties of 22.1 % to 86.5 % on certain iron or steel fasteners from China, for a normal five-year period; stainless steel fasteners were outside that measure. In October 2025 it added definitive duties of 54.7 % to 72.3 % on "screws without heads" from China — threaded rods, anchor bolts and U-bolts. Other markets apply their own tariffs and preferences; ASEAN importers can benefit from ACFTA rates with a Form E.

Rates depend on the exact product, the producer and the HS / CN code, and measures are reviewed. Check your customs tariff (for the EU, the TARIC database) before ordering, and ask the supplier to state the HS code on the quotation.

How to compare two quotes fairly

• Same standard and edition, size, grade and finish on every line.
• Same unit (per piece, per 1,000 or per kg) and same quantity per size.
• Same packing, documents and inspection scope.
• Same Incoterm and named port, and same payment terms.
• Landed cost including duty for your country, not just the factory price.
• Any deviation from your specification listed in writing.