Let's be honest: clothing and apparel is one of the most competitive, highest-volume, and most detail-intensive categories you can source from Asia. The margin for error — in sizing, fabric quality, compliance labelling, and supplier reliability — is razor-thin. And yet, for UK brands and retailers who get it right, it remains one of the most profitable product categories available through Asian manufacturing.
This guide is for UK clothing brand founders, fashion entrepreneurs, retail buyers, and private label product creators who are serious about manufacturing apparel in China or Vietnam and bringing it into the UK market at scale. We're not here to give you a beginner's overview of "how to find a supplier on Alibaba." We're going to cover the full picture — country selection, supplier vetting, UK compliance requirements, UKVFTA tariff savings, lead times, costs, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes that sink first-time apparel importers.
At Epic Sourcing, we've helped dozens of UK clothing brands, from sustainable activewear startups to multi-SKU online retailers, build reliable supply chains in both China and Vietnam. Here's what we've learned.
Clothing and apparel sourcing is the process of identifying, vetting, and commissioning manufacturers in overseas markets to produce garments, textiles, or fashion accessories to your specifications. For UK businesses, this typically means working with factories in China or Vietnam to produce goods that are then imported under the UK's trade classification codes (HS chapters 61–63), potentially with duty reductions under agreements like the UKVFTA.
The UK clothing and textiles market is worth over £60 billion at retail, and the overwhelming majority of garments sold in the UK are manufactured overseas — primarily in Asia. China remains the world's single largest clothing exporter, accounting for roughly a third of global apparel exports. Vietnam has emerged as a significant second-tier alternative, particularly since the trade frictions between the US and China that began in 2018. For UK businesses, both countries represent genuine, well-developed manufacturing ecosystems with the infrastructure, workforce, and materials supply chains to produce almost any apparel category at commercial scale.
The appeal is straightforward: unit economics. A quality cotton T-shirt produced in a reputable Guangdong province factory might cost £2.50–£5.00 FOB depending on fabric weight, print complexity, and order volume. The same garment retailing in the UK at £25–£40 leaves meaningful margin to absorb freight, customs, VAT, fulfilment, and marketing costs — if the sourcing is done correctly. Get the supplier selection, quality control, or compliance wrong, and that margin evaporates faster than you'd believe. This guide exists to help you get it right.
This is the question every UK apparel buyer faces. The honest answer is: it depends on your product category, your order volume, your timeline, and how much of your margin you're willing to allocate to tariffs versus logistics. Here's how the two countries stack up for UK clothing importers specifically.
| Factor | China | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Strongest categories | All categories; especially fast fashion, knitwear, denim, activewear, technical fabrics | Sportswear, outerwear, casualwear, woven garments, premium basics |
| Typical MOQ | 100–500 pcs per style | 300–1,000 pcs per style |
| Lead time (production) | 30–60 days | 45–75 days |
| Sea freight to UK | ~25–35 days (Shanghai/Ningbo to Felixstowe) | ~28–38 days (Ho Chi Minh City to Southampton) |
| UK import duty (standard) | 9.6%–12% (most woven garments, HS ch. 61–62) | 0%–5.8% under UKVFTA |
| Labour costs | Rising — coastal factories more expensive | Lower than coastal China; competitive CMT rates |
| Minimum viable order (new brand) | £5,000–£15,000 for first collection feasible | £10,000–£25,000 more typical |
| Best for | Early-stage brands, complex fabrics, fast fashion, high variety | Scale buyers, sustainability-focused brands, duty-sensitive categories |
The reality is that most mature UK apparel brands end up dual-sourcing — using China for speed, variety, and complex fabric items, whilst using Vietnam for core basics and high-volume lines where the UKVFTA tariff saving becomes significant.
China's clothing manufacturing is not evenly distributed. Understanding the regional specialisations means you're much more likely to find the right factory quickly rather than wasting months sending samples to generalists.
Vietnam's apparel industry has grown enormously over the past decade. The main clusters are:
When evaluating Vietnamese factories for the first time, ask directly where they source their fabric. If the answer is "mostly China," factor in that your lead times and costs will be affected by Chinese fabric availability — and during Chinese New Year shutdowns, this creates a double delay.
CMT factories only do the cutting, sewing, and finishing. You supply the fabric, trims, labels, and all materials. This model requires significant sourcing capability on your end and is not recommended for first-time importers.
The most common pricing model for UK clothing importers. The factory sources all materials and handles production. You pay a FOB price per unit, and the factory's responsibility ends when goods are loaded onto the vessel at the origin port. You then handle freight, insurance, UK customs, and import duty.
You provide the design, technical pack, and brand specifications. The factory manufactures to your exact spec. This is the model for private label and own-brand clothing — most UK clothing brands work OEM.
The factory already has designs and you select, customise, and brand them as your own. Lower upfront development cost and faster time to market. Common for start-up brands that don't yet have technical design capability.
| Model | Who Sources Materials? | Who Designs? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMT | You | You | Experienced buyers, premium brands |
| OEM (FOB) | Factory | You | Private label, brand builders |
| ODM | Factory | Factory (you adapt) | Startups, fast to market |
MOQ in clothing is typically defined per style, per colourway. A factory quoting "300 pcs MOQ" means 300 pieces of the same style and colour. Always clarify whether this applies per colour or across colours for the same style.
| Category | Typical MOQ (China) | Typical MOQ (Vietnam) | Sample Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirts / basic tops | 100–300 pcs | 300–500 pcs | £20–£60 |
| Dresses / womenswear | 200–500 pcs | 300–600 pcs | £30–£80 |
| Activewear / sportswear | 150–300 pcs | 300–500 pcs | £25–£70 |
| Outerwear / jackets | 200–500 pcs | 300–600 pcs | £40–£120 |
| Knitwear / sweaters | 200–400 pcs | 400–800 pcs | £35–£90 |
| Denim (jeans / jackets) | 300–600 pcs | 500–1,000 pcs | £30–£80 |
Total lead time from deposit payment to goods arriving at a UK warehouse typically includes: tech pack review & fabric sourcing (1–2 weeks), sampling (2–4 weeks), sample approval (1–3 weeks), bulk production (3–6 weeks), QC and packing (1 week), sea freight to Felixstowe or Southampton (25–38 days), and UK customs clearance (3–7 days). Total: 12–22 weeks for a new style. Repeat orders of proven styles can compress to 8–12 weeks.
Beyond FOB price, a complete UK landed cost calculation includes: sea freight (£0.30–£0.80 per unit), UK import duty (9.6%–12% from China, potentially 0% from Vietnam under UKVFTA), UK import VAT at 20% (reclaimable if VAT registered), customs clearance agent fee (£75–£150 per shipment), and warehouse receiving (£0.20–£0.60 per unit). Total landed cost is typically 30–50% above the FOB price.
Post-Brexit, the UK has its own compliance requirements distinct from EU rules. Getting this wrong is a legal issue, not just a quality one — Trading Standards enforcement is real.
All garments sold in the UK must have a fibre content label showing the percentage composition of all fibres in descending order (e.g., "80% Polyester, 20% Elastane") in English. This is a legal requirement under the UK Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012. Never accept labels that don't reflect the actual tested fibre content.
ISO 3758 GINETEX care labelling symbols are the accepted UK industry standard. Most retailers and marketplace platforms (Amazon, ASOS) require care labels as a practical condition of listing. Ensure your factory uses correct symbols that match actual fabric properties.
For most standard clothing, UKCA marking is not required. It becomes relevant for high-visibility garments (PPE regulations), children's sleepwear (flammability regulations), and certain protective clothing. Always verify if your specific apparel category has safety mark requirements.
UK REACH restricts hazardous substances in textiles including azo dyes releasing carcinogenic aromatic amines, formaldehyde in treated fabrics, and heavy metals in accessories. For bulk imports — particularly children's clothing — commission a textile testing report from a UKAS-accredited lab such as SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek.
To import goods commercially into the UK, you need an EORI number (starting "GB") from HMRC — free but takes a few days to process. UK customs declarations now use the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). Your customs broker needs your EORI, correct HS codes, and accurate customs value. Providing incorrect customs values is a criminal offence under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
HS Codes: Chapter 61 (knitted garments) and Chapter 62 (woven garments) cover most apparel. Using the wrong code can result in under or overpaid duty, and HMRC can issue post-clearance demands up to three years later.
The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) entered into force in January 2021 and is one of the most significant duty-saving opportunities for UK clothing importers. Under the standard UK Global Tariff, most woven garments attract 9.6%–12% duty. Under the UKVFTA, most of these categories attract 0%–5.8% when imported from Vietnam and meeting Rules of Origin requirements.
On a £50,000 FOB clothing shipment from Vietnam (woven garments, HS 62xx, CIF ~£52,500):
| Duty scenario | Rate | Duty payable | Saving vs China |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (standard rate, HS 6205) | 12% | £6,300 | — |
| Vietnam (UKVFTA preferential, HS 6205) | 0% | £0 | £6,300 per shipment |
For a business doing four clothing shipments per year, that's over £25,000 in annual duty savings — material for any growing brand. This is why more UK apparel buyers are actively developing Vietnamese suppliers for their core volume lines.
To claim the UKVFTA preferential rate, goods must meet Rules of Origin (RoO) requirements. For clothing (HS chapters 61–62), the UKVFTA applies a "double transformation" rule: fabric must be woven or knitted in Vietnam from yarn, and then cut and sewn in Vietnam. Garments assembled in Vietnam from Chinese fabric do not qualify under standard rules. Your Vietnamese supplier must provide a EUR.1 movement certificate or Statement on Origin confirming RoO compliance — this cannot be obtained retrospectively after shipment.
Ask your Vietnamese factory directly whether their fabrics qualify under UKVFTA Rules of Origin. Reputable factories that regularly export to the UK will know exactly which product lines qualify and can provide the documentation. If they seem confused by the question, that's a red flag.
Apparel manufacturing is uniquely difficult to assess remotely. Fit, construction quality, and fabric hand-feel cannot be evaluated from a spec sheet. Here's how UK clothing brands should approach supplier vetting.
Work with factories that already export to Western markets and have experience in your specific garment category. A jeans factory and a knitwear factory are entirely different operations with different equipment and quality benchmarks.
Send your tech pack and request a pre-production sample. Most factories charge £20–£80 per style (usually credited against your first order). Never place a bulk order without approving a pre-production sample (PPS). This is the single most common and expensive mistake new UK apparel importers make.
In China, verify business registrations on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. In Vietnam, request copies of the business registration certificate and export licence. Legitimate factories provide these without hesitation.
For initial orders above £15,000, commission a third-party factory audit through QIMA, Bureau Veritas, or SGS (BSCI, SEDEX, or SA8000 social compliance audits). Epic Sourcing can conduct factory assessments and provide visit reports as part of our service.
Always commission a pre-shipment inspection for your first orders from a new factory. An inspector visits when production is 80–100% complete and checks a statistical sample against your approved spec. Cost: approximately £200–£350 per inspection. This is the best £300 you'll spend on your supply chain.
At Epic Sourcing, we specialise in helping UK businesses source from China and Vietnam — including many clothing, apparel, and fashion accessory brands. We're based in London with on-the-ground team presence in both Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City, which means we physically visit factories, attend pre-production meetings, and conduct quality inspections rather than relying on remote communication alone.
Best for brands wanting to source existing manufacturer designs with your branding applied. We identify suitable white label clothing factories, secure samples, and manage your first order. Ideal for testing a new line with minimal development risk.
View White Label Package →For UK clothing brands building their own designs. We manage the full OEM process: factory sourcing, tech pack review, sampling management, pre-production approval, and production oversight. Covers China and Vietnam factories.
View Private Label Package →Our most comprehensive service for clothing brands scaling a full collection. Includes end-to-end sourcing management, factory vetting and auditing, sampling, pre-shipment inspection, compliance documentation, and freight coordination to Felixstowe or Southampton.
View Secret Label Package →Already found a factory you want to work with? We conduct an independent verification and factory visit report before you commit to an order — covering business registration, factory capacity, export history, and preliminary quality assessment.
View Supplier Verification →Book a free 30-minute consultation with our UK team. We'll talk through your product category, target factory region, budget, and realistic timeline — no sales pressure, just honest advice.
Book Your Free ConsultationFor a first private label collection from China, plan for £8,000–£15,000 for the manufacturing order itself. Add sample costs (£200–£600 for several styles), pre-shipment inspection (£250–£350), UK import duty (9.6%–12% on CIF value), and freight (approximately £1,000–£2,000 for a small FCL or LCL shipment to Felixstowe or Southampton). In total, budget £10,000–£20,000 to get your first collection landed in a UK warehouse. Lower-budget brands often start with ODM and smaller quantities from trading companies, though per-unit costs are higher and differentiation is limited.
For OEM manufacturing (your proprietary design), a technical pack is essential. It should include design sketches or CAD files, construction details (seam types, stitch counts), fabric specification (weight, composition, finish), sizing grading and measurement chart, label placement diagram, and packaging requirements. Factories can produce samples without a tech pack, but results will be inconsistent and revisions far more costly. If you lack internal design capability, commission a freelance technical designer — expect to pay £150–£500 per style depending on complexity.
Generally, no. The UKVFTA double transformation rule for garments (HS chapters 61–62) requires fabric to be woven or knitted in Vietnam from yarn, and then cut and assembled in Vietnam. Garments made in Vietnam from Chinese-origin fabric do not qualify under standard rules. There is a limited "extended cumulation" mechanism allowing ASEAN-origin fabric in some cases, but this is complex. Always ask your Vietnamese supplier whether their fabrics qualify for UKVFTA preferential origin and request the EUR.1 certificate or Statement on Origin before shipment departs — it cannot be obtained retrospectively.
Beyond Alibaba, UK clothing buyers use Global Sources (strong for fashion), Canton Fair (held twice yearly in Guangzhou — excellent for apparel), and Made-in-China.com. Industry trade fairs such as Intertextile Shanghai and Yarn Expo are excellent for fabric sourcing. The most reliable approach is an on-the-ground sourcing agent who can physically visit and vet factories — which is exactly what Epic Sourcing does. We maintain a network of audited apparel manufacturers across Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu provinces, and in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding Vietnamese provinces.
At minimum: a fibre content label in English stating the percentage of each fibre in descending order (UK Textile Products Regulations 2012). Care labelling using GINETEX symbols is a practical requirement for all major retailers and marketplaces. Country of origin labelling is required if making origin claims. For children's clothing, additional requirements include drawstring safety (EN 14682), flammability standards for nightwear (UK Nightwear Safety Regulations 1985), and small parts restrictions for items for under-3s. Keep copies of test reports from an accredited lab to demonstrate compliance if challenged by Trading Standards.
Whether you're building your first apparel brand or scaling an existing collection, Epic Sourcing's UK team can help you find the right manufacturers in China or Vietnam, manage quality, and navigate UK compliance — from your first sample to your first container.
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