How To Import Clothing and textile From China ?

Need Help On Clothing Importing from China?

Importing clothing and textiles from China, Thailand, and Vietnam! In this article, you will learn more about the import of fashion items from your Asian suppliers.

• How to find the right clothing manufacturer.
• What you must know about sourcing clothes manufacturers
• You will also receive tips with which you can guarantee the quality of each product.
• We also explain how you can reduce the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)

Importing clothing from China, Thailand and Vietnam

There are a few things to consider before you start importing clothing from China, Thailand, Vietnam? To begin with, make a decision about the sorts of clothing you want to import. For this, it is important that you compare the range of potential clothing suppliers.

Most Asian factories are specialized in producing a few types of clothing. It is therefore important for entrepreneurs to pick the right suppliers. Clothing factories are specialized in the manufacture of certain types of clothing, which is also reflected in their subcontractors and their machines. You will get an idea of a supplier’s product range by quickly browsing their website or supplier page on Alibaba or Global Sources. However, the scope of the company’s activity, as specified on the supplier’s commercial licence, maybe even more revealing.

On the other hand, you can also have the Chinese manufacturer inspected by an external partner such as wedoimport. By performing a Factory Audit your business partner checks the reliability and quality of the clothing manufactory. This also saves you the necessary travel costs and flight hours, because you don’t have to travel all the way to China by yourself.

What type of clothes to import from China, Thailand and Vietnam?

There are countless categories and different clothing types to import from countries such as China, India, Vietnam en Bangladesh. Think about fashion items for men, women, children and babies in categories such as:

• Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn collections.
• Sport, underwear, lingerie and swimwear.
• Shoes, belts and accessories.
• Handbags, sunglasses and headgear.
• Scarves, belts and gloves.

Import rules and legislation import

Buyers in many markets must ensure compliance with various product standards and regulations. When it concerns textiles, there are a variety of restrictions in terms of components used, limiting the content of formaldehyde, lead and AZO dyes – among others.

However, few clothing manufacturers can provide compliance documentation (i.e. test reports). It is therefore difficult to assess a clothing supplier’s ability to produce compliant goods.

Instead, compliance documents are much more often held by textile subcontractors and foreign buyers, rather than by the garment factory. However, our experience tells us that the risk of non-compliance (i.e. a product failing compliance tests) is very low when importing clothing from China.

Among clothing manufacturers, not all suppliers hold QMS certification. Clothing importers should not rely on suppliers to manage quality, but rather should set up their own quality monitoring procedures. The (general) level of occupational safety is higher in China than in other manufacturing countries in Asia.

However, a supplier capable of providing compliance reports should be chosen. Look for suppliers with BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and SEDEX certification.

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)

When importing clothes from China, the MOQ is usually set at around 500 to 1000 pcs per product. There is a reason for this. Clothing manufacturers must purchase a certain quantity from textile fabrics and component suppliers.

This quantity requirement is then reflected on the MOQ the clothing manufacturer must set.

Clothing suppliers are not only setting MOQ requirements per product (i.e., design) but also per colour, fabric and size. Hence, clothing importers must request the following MOQs from prospective apparel makers:

MOQ per Fabric: 1000 pcs (Set by a subcontractor)
MOQ per SKU: 500 pcs (Indirectly by a subcontractor)
MOQ per Color: 500 pcs (Set by a subcontractor)
MOQ per Size: 250 pcs (Set by Clothes supplier)
MOQ per Size: 50pcs (Set by Agents or Trading companies)

Clothing suppliers are generally more willing to offer a lower MOQ when it’s in their own control to do so. As we see in the list above, the SKU MOQ is often based on the MOQ per colour.

Shipping Textiles and Apparel from China

Clothing is a high volume product. As air freight charges quickly run-up due to ‘Volumetric charges’, shipping by sea is the only viable mode of transportation – for anything but minor sample deliveries.

Sea freight charges are based on three factors; Incoterm, volume and destination.

Major Textiles & Apparel Trade Fairs in China

• Global Sources Fashion Trade Show
• Canton Fair Phase 3 (Guangzhou)
• Hong Kong Fashion Week for (Hong Kong)

Import Duties and Taxes

Basic Customs Duty: 25%

Social Welfare Surcharge: 10% on Basic customs Duty 2.5%

GST (Goods and Services Tax): When goods are imported into India, IGST will be applied on the value of goods. The amount of GST on imported goods depends on the HSN (Harmonized System of Nomenclature Code). The GST on HSN Code 61179000 is (Articles of apparel and clothing accessories) is 5% if the sale value not exceeding rupees 1000 per pieces and 12% when the sale value exceeds rupees 1000 per pieces.

Hire a professional Import agent such as us, who will take care of all documents and also take over the responsibilities of calculating and payment of taxes, duties, excise, handling charges, transportation cost and communicating with authorities.

Import of textile and textile articles in India

Import of textile and textile articles is permitted subject to the condition that they shall not contain any of the hazardous dyes whose handling, production, carriage or use is prohibited by the Government of India under the provisions of clause (d) of subsection (2) of Section 6 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with the relevant rule(s) framed thereunder. For this purpose, the import consignments shall be accompanied by a pre-shipment certificate from a textile testing laboratory accredited to the National Accreditation Agency of the Country of Origin. The details of Accredited Agencies are available in: http://ilac.org/signatory-search/?q=all.

In cases where such certificates are not available, the consignment will be cleared after getting a sample of the imported consignment tested & certified from any of the agencies

(i) Textiles Committee of Ministry of Textiles (http://textilescommittee.nic.in/) and its various testing facilities,
(ii) Central Silk Technological Research Institute (CSRTI) (located at Bengaluru, Karnataka) and Eco Testing Laboratory Central Silk Technological Research Institute (located at Bhagalpur, Bihar, and
Varanasi Uttar Pradesh); of the Central Silk Board (the details can be accessed from the website of the Central Silk Board: http://csb.gov.in).

The sampling will be based on the following parameters:

1. At least 25% of samples are drawn for testing instead of 100%.
2. While drawing the samples, it will be ensured by Customs that the majority of samples are drawn from consignments originating from countries where there is no legal prohibition on the use of harmful hazardous Dyes.
3. The test report will be valid for a period of six months in cases where the textile/textile articles of the same specification/quality are imported and the importer, supplier and country of origin are the same.

However, the above procedure at 2. I and II, regarding testing of Textiles and Textile Articles for presence of Azo Dyes, will not be applicable for imports originating from the countries as listed in Appendix-2X, where the use of Azo Dyes in Textiles and Textile Articles is banned. European Union (EU) Countries,  Serbia, Poland, Denmark, China, Australia, Canada, Japan; and South Korea

Why India Import Garment Accessories from China?

Lower cost- China has the world largest paid labour which made it possible to manufacture products on a large scale and results in the cheaper cost of products.

Better service: China’s biggest advantage is its commendable supply chain which transforms raw material into a finished product and delivers to the end customer.

Mass productivity: The components going into production really are mass-produced at an aggregate cost and also able to produce a large output in a quicker time.