China has proved itself to be the “jack of all trades” in the last few years and everyone all over the world looks to import products from China. The main reason being the cost factor. Daily wages in China are quite low so resulting in low costs. So, are you looking to import something from China? Do you want to import clothing or textile products?
Here is a guide that will solve your problem and make it easier for you to import. It will discuss all the important steps and hopefully, by the end of this guide, all your questions would be answered.
Do you need help finding the right clothing manufacturer in China? Please use the LiveChat feature to get in touch or fill out the form below. We will connect you to our sourcing department. We can introduce you to manufacturers we have already audited and verified.
The Very Basic Part Where We Start from is Looking for a Well-Reputed or High-Quality Clothing Manufacturer in China. How Can that be Identified?
Well, when you start looking for manufacturers you should look for the products they deal in.
The variety of their products and the scope of their product. It is recommended to look for manufacturers who are specialized in the product you are looking for.
There are a lot of manufacturers in China who produce a wide range of products but it is better to look for those who are product specific. For example, if you are looking to order nylon gym shorts, then you should specifically look for manufacturers who produce only Nylon gym shorts.
You should not go for manufacturers who produce gym shorts made up of cotton as well as nylon. This was the example of gym shorts. Similarly, if you are looking for outdoor lawn chairs, then you should look for manufacturers who produce outdoor furniture only. You should not look and place an order to manufacturers who deal in all sorts of furniture.
The next thing to look for is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirement. For example, you require 50 units of a product and the minimum quantity the manufacturer accepts is 100 units, then of course you will have to look for another manufacturer. You need to look for manufacturers that are willing to accept your quantity.
When you are placing an order to a manufacturer, the manufacturer would provide their minimum quantities. These minimum quantities are set for four different variables which include minimum quantity per order, minimum quantity per color, minimum quantity per size, and lastly minimum quantity per fabric.
The MOQ varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The four different variables can be explained with an example in such a way that says you are ordering gym shorts from a manufacturer who deals in both cotton and nylon shorts. So, the minimum order manufacturer would be willing to accept might be 1000 pieces which can include 500 pieces per fabric which means 500 for cotton and 500 for nylon.
Then the manufacturer might have a variety of two colors and a minimum order of 250 pieces per color so you can simply select 250 pieces of each color for both of the fabrics. Then the last variable is minimum order quantity per size.
Usually, manufacturers range from 4-10 sizes. You can choose from these sizes and may place an order of a minimum of 100 pieces for each size hence totaling up to an order of 1000 pieces which was the MOQ for the whole order.
Testing for Clothing and Textile Products
Another very important factor to look at when determining the manufacturer is test reports. Textile products are tested in most of the countries such as Australia, Europe, the USA, and other countries as well.
These tests are conducted to make sure that safety standards are followed and the use of products such as chemicals and pollutants is avoided. In Europe REACH ensures these safety standards. However, talking about China most of the small-scale manufacturers are not aware of the material being used in the clothing.
However, we can not only blame the manufacturers for this activity as it involves the manufacturer of the raw materials as well. Due to the uncommon idea of testing in China, the material is not tested and clothing is manufactured straight away after receiving the material is received.
Other reasons for avoiding tests are that they are time-consuming and expensive at the same time. If you are located a country in the Europe or America it is necessary for you to choose a manufacturer who can provide a compliance track record in terms of test reports which are given by authentic third party such as ATI.
The compliance assessment can be based on documents such as the Heavy metals test report, Dyes test report, Bill of substances, REACH test report, etc.
The next significant factor to look at while selecting a manufacturer is fabric quality. This now depends on your choice. It depends on your target audience meaning the class you target. This also depends on who you want to compete in the market.
For example, let’s say if you want to set up a product that competes US Polo, then you would obviously have to go with a high-quality fabric that does not wear out easily, color does not fade after a few washes, does not shrink when washed and other characteristics that high quality US Polo shirts possess. The very basic step to do this is by selecting a manufacturer and ordering a few samples before placing a large order.
These samples should then be tested in different temperatures, washing thoroughly, using it very often and then analyzing the results after at least two weeks. If the shirt starts to wear out and the color starts to fade away this means that the shirt cannot match the quality standards of US Polo therefore it can’t be a competitor. Once you finalize a manufacturer based on all the characteristics discussed by now, you should let them know that you would not be compromising on the quality in any case.
Another way to go about this is to directly get in touch with the fabric supplier. For example, you have chosen a manufacturer based on all characteristics mentioned but you feel there should be some improvement in the fabric.
So instead of explaining it to the manufacturer, you can get in touch with the fabric supplier of the manufacturer and explain your requirements to them, the fabric supplier will then make amendments and ship the fabric to the manufacturer for production. This would make things easier for both you and the manufacturer.
The last factor you should be looking at is Sedex and BSCI Audit Reports. Both of these are organizations that provide memberships to manufacturers in light of carrying out social compliance audits in companies all over the world.
The Criteria on which the Audit Reports are based includes many Significant Clauses which are:
- The provision of health and safety of the workers
- Special measures are taken for workers of younger ages
- Child labor is avoided
- The working hours do not overload the employees
- People with a criminal record are not hired
- Environment protection measures are taken
- High moral standards and ethics
- Peonage is avoided. Peonage, for your information, means debt slavery as in employing people to get some service so the person can be released from the debt. However, the terms of the debt are not set. This is said to be peonage.
- Employees enjoy their right to freedom
It is better to select a manufacturer that has access to these audit reports as obeying the protocols tells a lot about the company. It tells how the company values its employees. Obviously, a company that values its employees highly would benefit from the high productivity of its employees in return.
This is how you can select your clothing manufacturer in China.
Creating a Techpack
The foremost step and a simple technique called “tech pack”. So first of all, you create a tech pack. This is basically a package that includes everything from design to size to printing to material to weight of your product. We’ll look into the details in a moment.
So, starting from designing sketches. First of all, you should make drawings of the final product you have in your mind. This would give your manufacturer a solid idea of what you require.
The next thing you set is your sewing pattern. The sewing pattern is for each part of the garment such as the sleeves and the collar. It assists the supplier in the cutting part of the process. The supplier can easily cut according to the measurements that are set in the size chart.
The next thing in a tech pack is the bill of materials. It is a list of materials and components which are required to manufacture a single piece. The bill includes the number of materials used. Let’s say that you order a piece of shirt, so you will specify the material such as ‘100% cotton’ and then further you can specify how many grams of cotton you require per square meter.
This is known as GSM so you could say you require a shirt made up of 100% Cotton with 200 GSM. Further, you need to identify the color of the shirt, could be any. If you finalize the color on your computer after mixing some of the colors on an application you can simply tell the manufacturer, the codes of colors added together to form that. You have to include each material separately on the bill of materials.
For example, for the collar, it can be written that there is a single piece made up of 100% (180- GSM) cotton in the color white; and an image could be added for reference. Similarly, you can do it for the sleeves and the care label which shows what temperature should the cloth be washed and ironed. The buttons can be stated in a similar manner to the quantity required for the whole shirt, along with the material and the color. The size of the button needs to be mentioned as well which is usually the diameter. For all these materials it is better to attach an image of each.
Another very important part of the tech pack is the size chart.
The size chart usually has four different sizes which are small, medium, large and extra-large. In the chart each size is followed by its dimensions, for example, in the case of a shirt, the dimensions of the shirt would be in terms of the width of the chest, the length of the sleeves, and the length of the collar.
Hence, a chart would have columns with the titles of the dimensions, and each row would be titled with the size such as S, M, L, and XL. The dimensions would then be written in the chart according to each size. An important thing to keep in our minds is that there is no standard size worldwide. The size of each company differs according to their own dimensions.
However, another way to choose a standard size is by selecting one of the ISO size standards. The ISO sizes are as follows:
ISO 3635: This was introduced in 1981 and provides instructions to take body measurements.
ISO 3636: This was introduced in 1977 and gives size guides for male outerwear garments
ISO 3637: This was introduced in 1977 and gives size guides for female outerwear garments
ISO 3638: This was introduced in 1977 and gives size guides for infant garments.
If you do not want to select the ISO then another option is to set your size chart based on another company’s size chart such as Adidas, Asos, H&M. Any company which is known to your target audience would be feasible for you.
Once the size chart is set some additional dimensions need to be added that. This includes tolerance and seam allowance. It is necessary to add the tolerance column as this would tell how flexible your clothing is and how much it can be stretched to fit inside. This measurement could be in millimeters as a lot of room is not possible.
Summarizing what is discussed for sizes, the three ways to do so are the following:
- Building your own size chart
- Following an ISO size chart
- Following another company’s size chart.
There is no other way of mentioning your sizes. It is advised to provide the sizes to your supplier and not depend on them as they would probably set the sizes according to their country hence ending up too large or too small.
The tech pack must also add any logo, text, or embroidery you want to add to your clothes. These logs, embroidery should be shared with the supplier in the form of an adobe photoshop or illustrator file as that is the software widely used.
Secondly, Adobe is user-friendly and would make it easier for you to design logos as well. While an adobe file is attached it is also recommended to tell the supplier on the position of the print, the dimensions of the print/embroidery/logo, the color, and the technique which should be used for printing. So, what is meant by the technique of printing? There are a lot of printing techniques let’s talk about some of them.
There is digital textile printing which is done with the help of an inkjet printer using textile ink. This printing is done directly on the fabric. The adobe file is uploaded on the computer connected to the printer. Instead of inserting papers in the printer, there is space specified to put the cloth in, on which the file is printed.
Another technique is thermal transfer printing. This is a cheaper method to add layers to a fabric. This technique can be used for printing text on the fabric however there is quite a chance of the text wearing off after a few washes.
The most commonly used technique is screen printing as it can be used for all colors of fabrics and is relatively economical in terms of cost.
The most traditional way of printing is block printing. In this technique wood or metal, blocks are cut into a specific pattern which is then further stamped on the cloth. This is not widely used for clothes but for bed sheets or curtains.
These were the techniques used for printing. You also need to first choose the material you want your cloth in. Let’s look at some of the most commonly used fabrics.
Firstly, we have cotton. Cotton is the most commonly used fabric which is used in all sorts of clothes, curtains, bedsheets. An additional property of cotton is that it is breathable.
Then we have polyester. Usually, you would see clothes with a combination of polyester and cotton. Polyester is interpreted as plastic and is used to make fabric. It is generally cheap and highly durable but, on the downside, it is not breathable. That is why both of these fabrics are used as a combination.
Another fabric is wool which is acquired directly from animals such as sheep. It is expensive as compared to polyester and cotton. Although there are many types of wool most suppliers sell cashmere and merino wool.
A very different material is bamboo rayon. It is not directly used as bamboo fibers, on the contrary, these fibers are combined with chemicals to form bamboo rayon. The process of combing chemicals and bamboo rayon is done by workers who are at stake as this process involves very harmful chemicals such as carbon disulfide which may lead to heart attack and blindness. However, there are some benefits of bamboo rayon as well which include being biodegradable, no pesticides on fabric.
Another material used is organic cotton which is only allowed to be named organic if the use of toxins, pesticides, chemicals, and GMO seeds is avoided. However, with the reduction of these chemicals, the yield reduces hence resulting in a higher price which in turn lowers the demand.
Nylon is another material used which is a durable polymer and is usually combined with cotton or polyester.
Spandex is a breathable and stretchable material used in combination with cotton and polyester to be used in sportswear.
These are the fabrics out of which any could be used for your clothing.
As discussed earlier the manufacturer should pass some audit reports, now we are going to look at the standards set for fabric.
We will look at various fabric certifications and the requirements to get certified.
Firstly, there is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The criteria for GOTS requires the fabric to carry at least 70 percent organic fibers. The chemicals used in the making of the fabric should not be harmful to the environment as well as the labor. All the wastewater should be treated with the help of a water treatment plant so the water can be used again. There are many companies that provide GOTS certification in China. These include “CERES Gmbh” and “Ecocert Greenlife”.
Another certification is known as OEKO Tex Standard 100 which is an international testing and certification system. The requirements for this certificate include being compliant with REACH (EU). It should not contain Azo colorants, formaldehyde, etc. The textile should be in line with US CPSC rules and regulations.
The fabric you choose has some specifications which need to be looked upon.
The first thing to be looked at is the weight of the fabric. The fabric, quite surprisingly, is not measured by its thickness but rather by the weight which is measured in grams per square meter. The weights of fabrics vary if they are light or heavy.
For example, baby clothing weighs around 110-130 gsm, t-shirts weigh around 110-210 gsm, pique fabric weighs around 210-250 gsm and hoodies weigh up to 400 gsm.
Then we can talk about fabric composition. As mentioned earlier the fabrics are often mixed together to form combinations according to your demand. You can make different combinations such as cotton and polyester, cotton and nylon, for sports you can combine cotton and spandex.
The color of the fabrics can be chosen according to the standard colors book of the supplier or you can get it custom dyed according to your own choice of color. This is done with the help of Pantone color and you are supposed to convey your Pantone code to the supplier as it is. It is very important to know that some Pantone colors have a minimum order requirement.
A requirement of law for garments is garments labels.
If garments are imported without these labels the authorities are allowed to check and in the worst-case discard the garments. The labeling requirements vary from country to country but mostly the standard labels include the fiber composition, the country where the product was made, the size and label which provides all the instructions.
How can clothing designs be protected?
It is not possible to protect the clothing design. However, what is possible is to protect the brand name, the logo, and any artwork on the cloth. The brand and logo can be protected by registering them under a trademark in the target markets. You can also register the trademark in China so no one there copies it.
Can reference samples be sent?
Yes, that is highly encouraged. It speeds up the process as the manufacturer gets the idea of the fabric quality you require along with the sizes and the color tone.
How to design a tech pack without any experience?
It is possible to find graphic designers on websites such as fiverr.com and upwork.com. There are a hundred qualified designers for who you can pay around $100-$150 and get whatever design made. They convert your imagination into a PDF file and send it over. In case of editing it, you can ask them at that point and they will edit it. The files you should work on with them are a pattern file, logo file, size chart, and specifying the material you require.
Sample of the Garment
The next major thing in ordering a manufacturer is a sample. After the ‘tech pack is complete you should look to ask for a sample from the manufacturer. The main aim of a sample is to check whether the manufacturer has understood your requirement and the quality they are providing.
Due to the online communication channel, it is quite possible that the manufacturer fails to provide the required product the first time. That is why instead of placing a huge order it is better to ask for a sample at first. It is recommended to order a sample from at least two to three shortlisted suppliers as it will make it easier to choose then.
However, the sample produced may vary a little from your required order due to the limitations on samples. These limitations allow the supplier to use standard colors and fabrics only as dying the fabric for a sample may be costly. The care label is not included in the samples. The thread colors used for embroidery may also be standard, hence the color may differ a little from the required one.
Production Manual
Now after you have received your samples you are done with most of the work. Now what you need to do is set up a production manual that will help you place your first order. It is highly advised to order minimum volume for your first order. A production manual lists down all requirements and terms.
It includes the attachment list of the tech pack. Further, it includes terms of shipping, compliance requirements, packaging for exporting final product, terms of payment, terms set for controlling the quality, terms set for testing in the lab, and terms for brand usage. With the help of a production manual, it is easier to set standards for the order process as it co0vers everything.
The payment plan is usually set as a 30/70 plan which means 30% of the payment is given in advance and the rest 70% is given after the quality inspection test is passed and the fabric passes the lab test.
Quality Inspection for Clothing
The next step is to book a quality inspection. As the communication is done online or via phone it is inevitable that there will be issues in the required quality and the provided quality. However, it is possible to reduce the quality issues to a certain degree which will keep your profit unaffected.
The issues that are faced in the final products usually include loose buttons, dimensions are incorrect, embroidery is not up to the mark, seams are not straight and threads may be popping out and other than that dirt on fabric is quite common. Hence, it is advised to perform a quality check in the factory before the final payment. Mostly these factories do not accept returns once the final product is shipped so it is better to set up a quality check in the factory.
The garment quality checklist follows a standard checklist which can be based on the checklist of inspection agencies or you could make your own if you want. It is advised to make your own checklist and then add those clauses to the checklist of the inspection agencies.
In short, the checklist should include
- Packaging material for export
- Comparison of the color demanded and received
- Washing
- Labels
- Seams
- Dimensions
- Inspection of the product as an overall
With the advancement of technology, the third-party inspection can be booked online as well. The first step is to create an account and complete the following checklist:
- Techpack
- Invoice of sample
- Quality checklist
- Name of Supplier
- Email and contact number of supplier
- Address of Supplier
FAQ
Do inspections cover all quality issues?
Not necessary as some of the fabrics may seem fine at first unless they are used and then washed. The color may start fading after three to four washes and the size of the cloth may start shrinking after some washes as well. So, it cannot be said that inspection can cover all quality issues.
What is the usual cost to get a quality inspection in China?
Usually, 260 US Dollars are charged for standard inspection. However, the inspection varies on the volume of goods being inspected. The standard inspection can cover up to three thousand pieces.
What are the steps to be taken in case the inspection fails?
The foremost step is to not pay the remaining 70% balance. The company should be given a time of fifteen days to amend the problems that caused the inspection to be failed.
Material Lab Testing
The old test reports cannot be related to the new batches manufactured of garments however the existing test reports can be used to assess the supplier. The only possible way to be satisfied is by getting a third-party compliance test booked.
The third-part test options include testing from a lab. You can choose from getting the test to verify compliance with a certain regulation or to check if the final product contains specific substances. The tests used which are already mentioned can be REACH, OEKO text standard 100, heavy metals, and chemicals.
Third-party lab testing is compulsory for most garments except non-children garments. This form of testing is the only way to verify if the material being used is compliant and the test is used if a government agency asks for one when importing.
The process of collecting a sample starts with the quality inspector collecting the sample from the company. This is necessary as there is a chance of submitting compliant samples if the supplier submits the samples themselves.
It is important to assure that the sample ID is pasted on the envelope so the testing company is able to identify the samples.
After the test is performed you will receive the report in a PDF format which will convey if the products have passed or failed the test. The same report can tell if the products are compliant with the safety standard such as REACH and CA Prop 65. You should keep the test report safe with you at all times as any government agency may ask for it at any time.
FAQs regarding tests:
What is the cost of lab tests?
The cost is based on the number of different fabrics, colors and the number of tests conducted. The mean value industries usually pay is somewhere between the range of 400 to 800 US dollars for five fabrics.
As far as testing every order is considered, no, it is better to get the first order from a supplier tested and then whenever the fabric is changed another test should be conducted.
Shipping
Now we are moving towards our last stage of the whole process. Yes, we are talking about shipping. The first step, however, is to clear all the remaining payments if you are left with any.
It needs to be kept in mind that once the final payment is paid the supplier is not responsible for any defective pieces. So, the payment should be made after you receive the quality test reports and in case of any issue, the payment should be done once the issues are resolved.
After you have made the final payment a copy of the receipt should be sent to the supplier and one receipt should be kept to yourself.
The next step is to book shipping online on platforms such as flexport.com. It is beneficial to book it online as these shipping services are usually tracked. It is also essential to make sure that the cargo is insured. It is highly recommended to take care of the shipping by yourself rather than asking the supplier to take care of it.
It is always a crucial decision to choose between air and sea shipping. Air shipping takes much less time as compared to shipping by sea but it is recommended to ship by sea when shipping more than 150 kgs. When importing cloth, it is likely that the weight is over 150 kgs.
It is necessary to get your items shipped before transporting them as when loading and unloading there is a high possibility of damaged goods or molded cartons. The only way to receive compensation is through insurance. Insurance is not provided by default so it has to purchase before the goods are collected from the factory. The cost of insurance depends on the value of the consignment being imported, however, usually, It costs around 70 to 170 US Dollars. Some costs are not covered by insurance, these include shipping costs and any other quality issues in the products as the supplier is responsible for them.
The packaging for the products should be done properly so minimum loss occurs. It is necessary to provide explicit instructions to the forwarder for how the cargo should be packed. It is recommended that the inner carton has three to five layers and the outer cartons have a minimum of five layers.
The outer cartons should also be wrapped with plastic to prevent mold. The foam should also be used for protection so if some water tries to seep in the foam immediately absorbs the water.
Summarizing the shipping process in some key points as follows:
- The balance is paid to the retailer.
- Pallets are packed and filled with the items.
- A truck is sent by the freight forwarder to the warehouse to pick up the cargo.
- The cargo is delivered to the loading terminal (e.g, Hong Kong). Based on the actual weight and volume, the forwarder should confirm the final cost.
- Pay the forwarder directly for the shipping costs.
- The cargo is loaded onto the ship and transported to its final location.
- The cargo arrives at the destination port and is processed by customs.
- The freight is transported from the destination port to your address by the forwarder.
What are the locations of the majority of clothing manufacturers in China?
Clothing manufacturers are spread all over China and are not limited to one place. However, large manufacturers are in the following provinces:
- Fujian
- Jiangxi
- Zhejiang
- Jiangsu
- Guangdong
Is it possible to buy wholesale from a clothing manufacturer in China?
That is not possible as most of the manufacturers make orders on demand are not stocked up for the year. They only produce after they receive an order.
What is the cost of manufacturing clothes in China?
There is no set standard cost for clothing. It depends on the material, the color, and the quantity as well to an extent. For example, a shirt could cost a dollar as well as twenty dollars depending on the fabric.
Is brand-name clothing available in China?
Even though a lot of brands get their clothes manufactured in China but the manufacturers are not allowed to sell those clothes directly to customers. Those clothes are supposed to be bought through the respective brands.
The next step towards your order is getting your clothing design manufactured and how to do so.