Sourcing markets

03 / 06

Six markets, and the honest case for each.

Including what each is weak at. A market recommended without its drawbacks is a sales pitch, not advice.

Figures are indicative for apparel at small-brand scale and are confirmed per specification at quotation. Lead times are ex-works and exclude freight.
Market	Minimum / colour	Sampling	Bulk	Terms
CNChina	300–500 pcs / colour knit · 500–1,000 woven · 1,000–3,000 m fabric	10–18 days	45–75 days	FOB standard · EXW and DDP available
TRTurkey	150–300 pcs / colour knit · 300–500 woven · 300+ denim	7–14 days	30–50 days	FOB and FCA standard · duty advantage under the EU–Turkey customs union
PTPortugal	100–300 pcs / colour knit · 150+ jersey · 200+ wool	10–20 days	45–70 days	EXW and FCA standard · intra-EU, no import duty
INIndia	300–500 pcs / colour knit · 200–300 hand craft · 500–1,000 m fabric	14–25 days	60–90 days	FOB standard · EXW on request
VNVietnam	500–1,000 pcs / colour	14–21 days	60–90 days	FOB standard · duty preference under EVFTA and CPTPP subject to origin
MAMorocco	300–800 pcs / colour	10–18 days	30–45 days	FCA and FOB standard · duty-free to the EU under the Association Agreement

CNEast Asia

China

Complexity, trims and speed of sampling

Where we go when the specification is technical, the trim list is long, or the calendar is short.

Clusters

Guangdong — Humen, Shantou: Knitwear, jersey, fast-turn ranges
Zhejiang — Shaoxing, Ningbo: Woven, suiting, fabric mills
Fujian — Jinjiang, Quanzhou: Activewear, performance, footwear
Jiangsu — Nantong: Home textiles, bedding, quilting
Shandong — Qingdao: Heavy knit, outerwear, wool

Why we use it

01Deepest vertical integration on earth: yarn, mill, dye house, trim and factory inside one province
02Trim, hardware and packaging available at low minimums, which no other market matches
03Fastest proto turnaround, and the widest tolerance for engineering-heavy specifications

What to watch

Tariff exposure for US-destined goods, and a compliance picture that has to be verified factory by factory rather than assumed from the market.

Record

Minimum: 300–500 pcs / colour knit · 500–1,000 woven · 1,000–3,000 m fabric
Sampling: 10–18 days
Bulk: 45–75 days
Ports: Yantian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao
Terms: FOB standard · EXW and DDP available

Certifications commonly held in this market

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
GRS
amfori BSCI
SEDEX / SMETA
ISO 9001
GOTS (selected)

Held commonly, not universally. Certification is verified per factory against the issuing body before shortlisting, and at transaction-certificate level where the claim reaches the label.

A long chain of punched jacquard cards laced together, hanging in folds. — Pl. XIIIPunched jacquard cards, laced in sequence. The pattern, made machine-readable.

TRAnatolia & Marmara

Turkey

Nearshore quality at commercial minimums

The default for a European-facing brand that wants quality and a calendar it can live with.

Clusters

Istanbul: Design, sampling, denim, ready-to-wear
Bursa: Woven, silk, technical and automotive textiles
İzmir: Organic cotton, knit, jersey
Denizli: Home textiles, towelling, bathrobes
Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş: Spinning, yarn, sewing thread

Why we use it

01Cotton-to-garment inside one country, which shortens the calendar and the argument
02Wash and finish houses at a standard Europe otherwise has to go to Italy for
03Genuine tolerance for premium minimums — 150 pieces a colourway is a real conversation

What to watch

Currency volatility moves quotations quickly; hold prices in writing with a stated validity, and re-confirm before the purchase order.

Record

Minimum: 150–300 pcs / colour knit · 300–500 woven · 300+ denim
Sampling: 7–14 days
Bulk: 30–50 days
Ports: Ambarlı, Mersin, İzmir · road freight to the EU in 5–8 days
Terms: FOB and FCA standard · duty advantage under the EU–Turkey customs union

Certifications commonly held in this market

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
GOTS
GRS
OCS
amfori BSCI
SEDEX
ISO 14001

Held commonly, not universally. Certification is verified per factory against the issuing body before shortlisting, and at transaction-certificate level where the claim reaches the label.

Page from a French fabric sample book of 1850 showing dark aubergine and burgundy printed cottons in a grid. — Pl. VIIIFabric sample book, France, 1850. The dark end of the card — aubergine, oxblood, near-black.

PTIberian Peninsula

Portugal

Elevated basics, jersey, and small runs inside the EU

Where a brand goes when the garment has to justify its price in the hand.

Clusters

Vale do Ave — Guimarães, Barcelos: Knitwear, jersey, sweatshirting
Porto & Vila Nova de Famalicão: Finishing, print, embroidery
Covilhã: Wool, felted cloth, tailoring fabric
São João da Madeira: Footwear, headwear, leather goods

Why we use it

01Inside the EU: no duty, no customs entry, and a two-day road leg to most of Western Europe
02The best jersey finishing in Europe, and the reason most premium heavyweight tees are made here
03Deep certified organic and recycled supply, with paperwork that survives an audit

What to watch

Capacity is genuinely tight and the good houses are booked months out. Quotations are slower to come back than Turkey, and price sits above it.

Record

Minimum: 100–300 pcs / colour knit · 150+ jersey · 200+ wool
Sampling: 10–20 days
Bulk: 45–70 days
Ports: Leixões, Lisboa · road freight across the EU in 2–4 days
Terms: EXW and FCA standard · intra-EU, no import duty

Certifications commonly held in this market

GOTS
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
GRS
OCS
ISO 9001
amfori BSCI

Held commonly, not universally. Certification is verified per factory against the issuing body before shortlisting, and at transaction-certificate level where the claim reaches the label.

Three turned wooden pirns standing against a dark ground, one stamped Made in England. — Pl. XPirns, Queen Street Mill, Lancashire. One still carries its origin stamp.

INSouth Asia

India

Certified organic cotton, and hand craft at scale

The first call for an organic cotton programme, or for anything worked by hand.

Clusters

Tiruppur: Knit, jersey, certified organic cotton
Delhi NCR — Noida, Gurugram: Woven, embellishment, embroidery
Ludhiana: Wool, knitwear, winter
Jaipur: Block print, natural dye, hand craft
Bengaluru: Technical outerwear, structured woven

Why we use it

01The world's deepest certified organic cotton supply, with GOTS transaction certificates available end to end
02Hand embroidery, block print and natural dye at commercial volume rather than sample scale
03Competitive on jersey, and improving quickly on finishing

What to watch

Longer calendars and more variance between the sample and the bulk. This market rewards a tight specification and inline inspection, and punishes assumptions.

Record

Minimum: 300–500 pcs / colour knit · 200–300 hand craft · 500–1,000 m fabric
Sampling: 14–25 days
Bulk: 60–90 days
Ports: Nhava Sheva, Chennai, Tuticorin, Mundra
Terms: FOB standard · EXW on request

Certifications commonly held in this market

GOTS
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
GRS
OCS
Fairtrade
SA8000
SEDEX / SMETA

Held commonly, not universally. Certification is verified per factory against the issuing body before shortlisting, and at transaction-certificate level where the claim reaches the label.

A complex silk handloom in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, strung with hundreds of warp threads and pattern cords. — Pl. XIVSilk handloom, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Photograph by McKay Savage.

VNSoutheast Asia

Vietnam

Outerwear, performance, and volume with clean compliance

Where an outerwear or performance programme should be, once the volume justifies it.

Clusters

Hồ Chí Minh City & Bình Dương: Woven, outerwear, technical sewing
Hà Nội, Hưng Yên, Hải Dương: Knit, sweaters, jersey
Đà Nẵng: Footwear, bags, luggage

Why we use it

01The best technical outerwear sewing in the region — seam sealing, taping, down and insulation
02Duty advantages into the EU under EVFTA and across the Pacific under CPTPP
03A mature compliance culture: BSCI, WRAP and Higg FEM are ordinary here, not exceptional

What to watch

Most fabric is imported from China, Taiwan or Korea. Add the mill lead time to the garment lead time, and confirm the origin rule before relying on a duty preference.

Record

Minimum: 500–1,000 pcs / colour
Sampling: 14–21 days
Bulk: 60–90 days
Ports: Cát Lái, Hải Phòng, Cái Mép
Terms: FOB standard · duty preference under EVFTA and CPTPP subject to origin

Certifications commonly held in this market

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
GRS
amfori BSCI
WRAP
ISO 9001
Higg FEM

Held commonly, not universally. Certification is verified per factory against the issuing body before shortlisting, and at transaction-certificate level where the claim reaches the label.

A weaving shed filled with rows of power looms under a north-light roof. — Pl. XIWeaving shed, Queen Street Mill, Lancashire. Photograph by Clem Rutter.

MANorth Africa

Morocco

Short runs and replenishment, two days from Europe

The answer when a European brand needs to re-order in weeks rather than months.

Clusters

Tanger & Tanger Med: Export-facing jeans, lingerie, fast replenishment
Casablanca: Woven, denim, quick-turn ready-to-wear
Fès: Knit, embroidery, traditional finishing
Rabat–Salé: Woven, uniform, workwear

Why we use it

01Closest volume manufacturing to Western Europe: Tanger Med to Algeciras is a short crossing, then road
02Duty-free into the EU under the Association Agreement
03Built around replenishment — the market is structured for repeat orders on short cycles

What to watch

Fabric is largely imported from Turkey, Spain and Italy, so the mill sits on the critical path. Capability is narrower than Turkey; match the specification carefully.

Record

Minimum: 300–800 pcs / colour
Sampling: 10–18 days
Bulk: 30–45 days
Ports: Tanger Med, Casablanca · road to Western Europe in 2–4 days
Terms: FCA and FOB standard · duty-free to the EU under the Association Agreement

Certifications commonly held in this market

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
amfori BSCI
SEDEX / SMETA
ISO 9001
GRS (selected)

Held commonly, not universally. Certification is verified per factory against the issuing body before shortlisting, and at transaction-certificate level where the claim reaches the label.

Second page from the 1784 English salesman's sample book, olive and brown wool swatches in a bordered grid. — Pl. IIISalesman's sample book, England, 1784. The commercial range, bound for the road.

On choosing

The market is the last decision, not the first. Fix the garment, the minimum, the target landed cost and the date it has to be on sale, and usually two markets remain. Then it is a question of which one you can live with for three seasons rather than one.

QTMBG sources in these six markets. Where a specification is better served elsewhere we will say so, and say who to speak to.

Enquiries

Tell us the garment, and we will tell you the market.

Send a specification, a sample or a reference photograph with your target price and date. A market recommendation with reasoning comes back inside a week.

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