Question 1

What is the minimum order quantity for custom silicone and rubber parts?

Accepted Answer

From roughly 500 pieces for a simple compression-moulded part. Liquid silicone injection usually needs 2,000–5,000 to be economic because the tooling is more expensive.

Question 2

How long does custom silicone and rubber parts take to manufacture and ship?

Accepted Answer

Sample after tooling: 7–12 days. Mass production: 10–18 days. Add 3–7 days air express or 22–35 days sea freight to the destination.

Question 3

What does tooling cost for custom silicone and rubber parts?

Accepted Answer

USD 150–600 for a simple compression mould, USD 800–3,000 for liquid silicone injection tooling. Quoted separately and owned by the buyer.

Question 4

How much does custom silicone and rubber parts cost per unit?

Accepted Answer

Roughly USD 0.10–0.60 per small part in the 5,000–20,000 range, material-dependent. Silicone is priced by the kilogramme, so the part weight drives cost more than the shape.

Question 5

Which HS code applies to custom silicone and rubber parts?

Accepted Answer

3926.90 covers most articles of plastics; 4016.93 for articles of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber. Classification depends on the material actually used, not on what the part is called.

Question 6

What certifications does custom silicone and rubber parts need?

Accepted Answer

Food-contact work needs FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 or EU 1935/2004 compliance, and medical or skin-contact work needs ISO 10993 biocompatibility testing rather than a generic "food grade" claim.

Question 7

What duty and tariff issues apply to custom silicone and rubber parts?

Accepted Answer

US duty on 3926.90 was 5.3% at the time of writing; EU duty around 6.5%. Both are rate-sensitive and must be checked against the current tariff schedule for the exact code before quoting.

Custom silicone and rubber parts: MOQ, tooling, lead time and landed cost

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Get custom silicone and rubber parts quoted

Minimum order quantity	From roughly 500 pieces for a simple compression-moulded part. Liquid silicone injection usually needs 2,000–5,000 to be economic because the tooling is more expensive.
Lead time	Sample after tooling: 7–12 days. Mass production: 10–18 days. Add 3–7 days air express or 22–35 days sea freight to the destination.
Tooling	USD 150–600 for a simple compression mould, USD 800–3,000 for liquid silicone injection tooling. Quoted separately and owned by the buyer.
Unit cost	Roughly USD 0.10–0.60 per small part in the 5,000–20,000 range, material-dependent. Silicone is priced by the kilogramme, so the part weight drives cost more than the shape.
HS classification	3926.90 covers most articles of plastics; 4016.93 for articles of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber. Classification depends on the material actually used, not on what the part is called.
Certification	Food-contact work needs FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 or EU 1935/2004 compliance, and medical or skin-contact work needs ISO 10993 biocompatibility testing rather than a generic "food grade" claim.
Duty	US duty on 3926.90 was 5.3% at the time of writing; EU duty around 6.5%. Both are rate-sensitive and must be checked against the current tariff schedule for the exact code before quoting.