How We Quote Aluminium Profiles by Quantity and Destination (by the variables below)

The reference bands below are 2026 China-factory FOB figures for 6063-T5 silver-anodised T-slot off an existing die at roughly 500–2 000 m, expressed in USD per metre so a buyer can compare sections without converting kilograms first.

They are not firm quotes. Mill finish sits toward the low end of each band; black anodising, tight length tolerance, special packing and rush press slots sit toward the high end. A new die adds a one-line tooling charge that is amortised across the order — see how die cost amortises per meter. Heavy CCD sections need a larger press and carry a small premium inside the same kilogram logic. European catalogue prices for the same envelopes are often several times these FOB bands because they include distributor stock, cut-to-size labour and local VAT treatment; an importer comparing a Motodis-style retail list with a Dalian factory sheet is comparing two different products.

When a buyer asks “what is your price for 100 m of 2020 delivered to the US” versus “500 m of 2020 delivered to the US”, the section row stays the same and three variables move: the quantity step, the share of fixed setup, and whether the shipment is LCL or can fill a better ocean rate. The table collapses those 500-odd ask-variants into one reference grid; the destination adder is calculated on top once the Incoterm is named.

Reading the grid: a 20×20 row near USD 1.40–2.20/m at mid volume is light metal and a small press; a 100×100 row near the high twenties to forties per metre is mostly kilograms and CCD. Use the band to shortlist, then lock alloy, finish and port before you treat any figure as a purchase price.

What the price is actually made of

A metre price is billet metal plus press time, finish, packing and a share of fixed order costs — not a single catalogue line.

Billet follows the LME/SHFE band and is usually 60–75% of a China FOB extrusion number on commodity 6063. Extrusion recovery, scrap and ageing sit next. Anodising is priced by surface area and colour batch; a silver clear coat is cheaper than a dense black that needs tighter rack discipline. Packing for export is an ISPM 15 timber cradle with IPPC mark, or a plywood case for cut lengths under 3 m. Fixed items — die change, first-bar trial, document set, container loading — do not shrink when the order is short, so they dominate the unit cost below a few hundred metres.

Destination and Incoterm decide whether ocean freight and clearance enter the same number or stay with the buyer. FOB Shanghai or Ningbo stops at the ship’s rail. CIF adds freight and insurance to a named port. DAP carries the goods to the named place ready for unloading. DDP adds import duty and clearance on the seller. Two quotes that differ by 8% on the profile line can reverse ranking once DAP Chicago is compared with FOB Ningbo plus the buyer’s own forwarder.

How quantity changes the unit price

Unit price falls at 500 m, 2 000 m, 5 000 m and 10 000 m because fixed costs are spread thinner and the press run is more efficient.

Worked ladder for 40×40 (~1.55 kg/m) around a mid 2026 FOB band of about USD 4.96/m at 500–2 000 m:

A new die needs 500 m minimum and carries tooling on top until it is amortised — details under minimum order with a new die. Destination then multiplies the effect: the same percentage freight saving on a full 40HQ is larger in absolute dollars than on a LCL pallet to the US Gulf or Hamburg. That is why “quantity × unit price” must be read with the Incoterm in the same cell, not on a separate email.

Importers who call off 400 m every month often pay more than a distributor who books 5 000 m twice a year, even when the annual metres are similar. Consolidating call-offs into the published steps is usually worth more than negotiating adjectives on a 150 m spot buy.

What to send us for a firm quote

Send the section or DXF, alloy and temper, finish, cut length, quantity in metres or tonnes, die status, Incoterm and destination port — that set produces a firm 2026 number.

If the die is new, say so; die making adds 7–12 days before the press, covered on die making adds 7–12 days, and ownership is documented under who owns the die. State whether lengths are stock 6.02 m bars or cut-to-size. Name FOB Shanghai, FOB Ningbo, CIF, DAP or DDP and the discharge port. With that package we return metal, process, finish, packing and freight as separate lines so the buyer can see what quantity and destination actually move.

Payment terms on the firm sheet are T/T 30% deposit and 70% before shipment, or L/C at sight. Capacity context for large call-offs is about 600 t per month of extrusion with in-house anodising, which matters when several heavy sections share the same sailing.