Buy fiberglass grating direct from the manufacturer when you need a full container or a project quantity and can plan around ocean freight: Shanghai to Los Angeles alone takes about 14–20 days port to port. Orders under about 500 sq ft, or needed in under 3 weeks, go to a US stocking importer. Request a quote to start.
Strongrate grating is made by Nantong Strongrate Co., Ltd. in Nantong, Jiangsu, China, and ships from China by ocean freight. There is no US warehouse behind a direct order: you or your customs broker enter it at a US port, unless the quote is delivered duty paid (DDP).
When should you buy fiberglass grating direct from the manufacturer?
Buying direct makes sense when the order is large enough to fill a container and the schedule allows for production plus ocean transit. Everything else is better served from US stock, and we route it there.
| Your situation | Best source | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A full 40 ft container or a project quantity, with time for ocean freight | Factory-direct from Nantong | Ocean transit alone is about 14–20 days from Shanghai to Los Angeles, port to port1 |
| Under about 500 sq ft | A US stocking importer (we refer you) | Small orders are served faster from US inventory than from a container shipment |
| Needed in under 3 weeks | A US stocking importer (we refer you) | US stocking distributors ship in-stock grating within a few days, some the same day2 |
| Federally funded public works covered by Build America, Buy America (BABA) | A maker with US manufacturing; we cannot supply these projects | BABA requires every manufacturing process in the US, so China-made FRP grating does not qualify |
| Privately funded industrial, commercial or marine project | Factory-direct or US stock, by quantity and date | BABA does not apply to privately funded projects3 |
| Your specification requires US-manufactured grating | A maker with US manufacturing | Some guide specifications state that gratings shall be manufactured in the USA |
Notes
- 1Port-to-port only; excludes production time and US delivery.
- 2Published by US sellers; not a Strongrate lead time.
- 3Project specifications or other funding conditions can still require US manufacture; check your bid documents.
How does a factory-direct order work, step by step?
How to buy fiberglass grating direct from the factory
Step 1: Send drawings and quantities
Use the quote form: drawings or a cutting list, product, quantity in sq ft or panels, destination ZIP code, need-by date, and whether the project uses federal funds.
Step 2: Receive a quote and routing
We reply within 1 business day (US Central time) with routing and next steps. The written quotation gives USD prices with the Incoterm (for example FOB a Chinese port) and the quote date.
Step 3: Sample and submittals
Order a sample and ask for submittals: the DNV type approval for the listed models and the catalog data sheets. Samples from China need a customs entry and pay duty.
Step 4: PO and deposit
Issue your purchase order and pay against the pro forma invoice; deposit and balance terms are confirmed in your quote. Pay only to the company account named on the pro forma invoice, and confirm any change of bank details by phone using contact details you already hold.
Step 5: Production and ocean freight
The grating is made in Nantong and shipped by ocean freight; production time is confirmed in your quote. As published benchmarks, Shanghai to Los Angeles takes about 14–20 days port to port, and Shanghai to New York/New Jersey about 30–40 days all-water. See lead times, MOQ and shipping.
Step 6: Delivery and import clearance through your customs broker
Under FOB or CIF terms you are the importer of record: your licensed customs broker enters the goods under HTS 3925.90 and pays the duty, about 42.8% for China-origin grating as of Oct 2026 (confirm with your licensed customs broker). Count panels and check for damage at delivery, and note any problem on the delivery receipt.
FOB, CIF or DDP: which price should you ask for?
Chinese grating makers generally sell FOB a Chinese port, and North American importer-distributors hold the US stock. With duty-free de minimis entry gone for goods from China, more US buyers ask for DDP (delivered duty paid) pricing, where the seller or a freight forwarder acts as importer of record. Your quote states the Incoterm and the named place.
| Incoterm | The price covers | Ocean freight | US duty and customs entry | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOB (Free On Board), Chinese port | Goods loaded on board at the Chinese port | You book and pay | You, as importer of record, through your broker | Buyers with their own forwarder and broker |
| CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight), US port | Goods, ocean freight and marine insurance to the named US port | Seller books and pays | You, as importer of record, through your broker | Buyers who want one ocean price and clear customs themselves |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), your address | Goods delivered to your site with US duty paid | Seller books and pays | Seller or its forwarder, as importer of record | Buyers who want one landed price |
How large should a factory-direct order be?
Ocean freight is charged per container, so freight per sq ft falls as the container fills. In early October 2026 the Freightos spot rate from China was $8,319 per 40 ft container to the US West Coast and $9,606 to the East Coast, before US port, drayage and customs charges. Send your product mix with the quote request and the quote states the container loading.
What documents come with a direct order?
| Document | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Written quotation and pro forma invoice | USD prices, Incoterm, quote date, lead time and payment terms |
| DNV Type Approval TAF0000191 Rev. 1 | Fire-technical approval of six listed models, valid until Feb 10, 2027; not a structural rating1 |
| ASTM E84 results for the DNV-listed models | Flame spread index 5–20 on the DNV certificate2 |
| Load tables and data sheets | Strongrate’s 2023 catalog load and deflection tables; confirmed in your quote and submittal drawings3 |
| Product marking | Brand and fire rating on each DNV-listed grating, with the manual supplied |
| Export shipping documents | Commercial invoice, packing list and ocean bill of lading for your customs broker |
Notes
- 1Fire data on the certificate applies to these six models only.
- 2Applies only to the six models listed on DNV certificate TAF0000191 Rev. 1.
- 3Catalog tables; confirm the values for your span in the submittal before final design.
Commercial terms at a glance
- Origin
- Made in Nantong, Jiangsu, China; ships from China
- Tariff classification
- HTS 3925.90; see landed cost, duty and freight and confirm with your licensed customs broker
- Incoterms quoted
- Confirmed in your quote
- Minimum order
- Confirmed in your quote
- Production lead time
- Confirmed in your quote
- Payment terms
- Confirmed in your quote
- Samples
- Confirmed in your quote
- Warranty
- Confirmed in your quote
- Small or urgent orders
- Under about 500 sq ft, or needed in under 3 weeks: referred to a US stocking importer; see lead times, MOQ and shipping
- Quote response
- Within 1 business day (US Central time), confirming routing and next steps
What does a direct order cost once it lands?
On FOB or CIF terms, add US import duty to the factory price: about 42.8% for China-origin grating under HTS 3925.90 as of Oct 2026 (confirm with your licensed customs broker), plus customs fees, US port charges and delivery. The fiberglass grating price page shows dated market benchmarks, and the landed cost guide walks through the arithmetic.
Can factory-direct grating be used on Buy America projects?
Not on projects covered by Build America, Buy America (BABA). BABA requires every manufacturing process for plastic and polymer-based construction materials to take place in the US, so FRP grating made in China does not qualify for the federally funded infrastructure it covers. Privately funded industrial, commercial and marine projects are not subject to BABA, although a project specification can still require US manufacture. See Buy America (BABA) and imported FRP grating.
Buying direct: details by topic
- Fiberglass grating price per sq ftDated US market benchmarks per sq ft and per panel, what moves the price, and how factory-direct prices are quoted.
- FRP grating import duty and landed costHTS 3925.90, the duty stack for China-origin FRP grating with its as-of date, ocean freight benchmarks and a landed-cost worksheet.
- Fiberglass grating lead times and MOQLead time by stage, ocean transit to US ports, minimum orders and container loading.
- Buy America (BABA) and fiberglass gratingWhy grating made in China does not qualify for federally funded projects under Build America, Buy America, and which projects are unaffected.
- Fiberglass grating warranty and terms of saleWarranty, payment terms, insurance certificates, returns and restocking for factory-direct orders.
- Fiberglass grating suppliers in the USHow US buyers choose between factory-direct supply from Nantong and US stocking importers, and how we route small or urgent orders.
Frequently asked questions
Is fiberglass grating from China lower quality than US-made grating?
Country of origin alone does not tell you: US distributors and manufacturers regularly import FRP grating from Chinese factories. Judge the product by its documents. Strongrate’s DNV type approval lists ASTM E84 flame spread indexes of 5–20 for six models.
Can one project buy part factory-direct and part from US stock?
Yes. Send the container or project quantity for a factory-direct quote, and send small or urgent items (under about 500 sq ft, or needed in under 3 weeks) as a separate request, which we refer to a US stocking importer.
Which company issues the invoice on a factory-direct order?
The grating is made by NANTONG STRONGRATE CO.,LTD in Nantong, China. The company that issues the quotation and pro forma invoice is named on them; pay only to the account that company names.
Request a quote
Send drawings or the product, quantity, destination ZIP code and need-by date. We reply within 1 business day (US Central time) with routing and next steps.
Sources
- GLEIF LEI record 6556005KVI9FHOYLS818 (company name and registered address) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- DNV Type Approval Certificate TAF0000191 Rev. 1 (models, E84 results, marking conditions) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Strongrate product catalog “Your Best FRP Solution” (Sep 2023) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
- Ship4wd, Shipping from Shanghai to USA (transit times) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Freightos Baltic Index, week 40 report via Sourcing.center (Oct 7, 2026) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Wove tariff lookup, HTS 3925.90.00.00 (duty stack as of Oct 2026) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- CBP ruling NY L81379 (2004), via CustomsMobile (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Sourcing Herald, US de minimis in 2026 (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Junfeng freight forwarder article on de minimis removal (DDP demand) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Industry research synthesis of US importer pages and trade data (sellers not named) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Published shipping times of several US stocking distributors (not named) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Federal Register 2023-17724, 2 CFR parts 184 and 200 (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- EPA, Build America, Buy America FAQs for manufacturers (Jun 2025) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- EPA, Build America, Buy America (CWSRF page) (accessed Oct 15, 2026)
- Strongwell Section 06 74 13 molded and pultruded specifications (accessed Oct 15, 2026)