What Are the Best Clothing Manufacturers in China?

China has a wide range of production lines even when it comes to clothing. However, not all of them are the best. The best clothing manufacturers in China can be determined by the following criteria.

1. Product Scope

Different suppliers specialize in different product categories. Sometimes, the specialization even covers materials. In terms of clothing, it is no different. If you are willing to import organic cotton t-shirts with certification from a specific organization, you need to look specifically for those suppliers who manufacture those products with that specific certificate. Just any cotton t-shirt manufacturer won’t do.

In terms of clothing, it also involves print techniques and some other technical requirements. Not all suppliers offer all kinds of printing. Hence, if you are looking for a specific printing technique, you should go for the manufacturer offering it.

2. Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) requirement

Different suppliers have different MOQ requirements. For example, a supplier may set its MOQ at 500 pieces. In that case, you have to purchase or online order at least that amount. Otherwise, the supplier company won’t accept your order.

In the clothing manufacturing industry, MOQs can be of different types. For example, the usual MOQ per order is 500-1000 pieces. For MOQ per fabric and color, the normal quantity is 250-500 pieces. And based on size, the MOQ is normally 100-250 pieces.

There are some factors regarding MOQ, which if you keep them in mind, will give you some better output. The MOQ of a supplier often reflects the minimum amount of fabric that suppliers can purchase from their contractors and subcontractors.

Hence, if you use the same colors and fabrics on more than one product, the overall MOQ will reduce. Also, custom fabric with customized color usually has a higher MOQ, compared to the standard colored fabric.

3. Test reports

As different chemical materials and dye products are used in the textile industry, it requires frequent tests and analysis. Hence, we see such regulations in most countries. Europe, Australia, the United States are also among these countries.

These test reports help to understand the safety standards, like REACH, which is used in Europe, California Proposition 65. Restrict chemicals, heavy metals, and pollutants are also among these most applied safety standards.

However, where the industry is larger, the safety standards are less maintained. For example, as there are a huge number of Chinese clothing manufacturers, most of which are small ones, safety standards are often not met.

That is to say, these manufacturers often don’t know about the substance contained in their products. This problem usually goes beyond the manufacturing company. These manufacturers purchase materials, including fabrics and other components, from subcontractors. Hence, there is a chance that the manufacturer company may not always know about all the materials used.

To ensure that non-compliant components do not slip through the system, the supplier needs to test a large number of samples. Most small factories may find it expensive and time-consuming.

However, in some countries, it is a mandatory step. Some common clothing test reports include one or more of the following-

• REACH (SVHC)
• OEKO standard 100
• Heavy metals test report
• California Proposition 65
• Azo dyes test report
• MSDS

4. Fabric quality

Many companies often look over the fabric quality. It gets more common when you rely on a manufacturer for all the parts of successful production, including the fabric. As many histories go, a reliable manufacturer may even face some difficulty while buying top-quality fabrics from a responsible seller.

In those cases, demanding more and more samples won’t do much of an improvement. Hence, it is better if you get a set of sample and test it to the highest limit. It will help you understand how far your fabric is going to last. Also, you need to set your requirements quite straight and specific.

Also, you should source fabrics from different suppliers than the apparel manufacturer. When selecting fabrics and different other materials, relying on apparel manufacturers will be time-consuming. Hence, you can have a totally different material supplier for the fabric part.

5. BSCI and Sedex audit reports

Membership organizations like BSCI and Sedex perform social compliance audits on a regular basis in factories across the world. BSCI implements a protocol based on the following core principles-

• Fair remuneration
• Rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Occupational health
• Non-bonded labor
• Special protection for young workers
• Ethical business-oriented behavior
• Zero child labor
• Acceptable working hours
• Environment protection, etc.

Factories that are already Sedex or BSCI audited are usually managed better compared to the ones lacking such types of audit reports. When you are going to choose textile factories, BSCI and Sedex audit reports are quite the very primary criteria of selection, especially in China, Vietnam, and the surrounding countries.

6. Price

Price is always the prime factor. No matter how the quality of your textile is, the price will always have to be kept within an accessible range.

Now, the good news is that Chinese manufacturers offer clothing at quite a low price, compared to other global manufacturers. Hence, you won’t have to worry about the price in most cases. However, as the price lowers, so does the quality sometimes.

Hence, you must note that the quality of the product should never go down with the price. Even sometimes, you may need to go for a pricier one for better output.

7. Quality

As a wholesaler, ensuring quality is as challenging as it gets. However, if you manage to pass this challenge successfully, you will not have to face any more such difficulties.

In order to ensure the best quality, the best option is to ask for a batch of samples and then check out whether they meet your requirements.

Usually, the regular product flow will coincide with the sample. Hence, if the sample is of top quality, you can hope for future products to be the same. However, you need to keep in mind that top-quality products may sometimes cost more, although that is not an obvious cause.

8. Shipping times

Shipping times make a vital difference in choosing the manufacturing company. While some companies will offer shipping overseas within a few days or a week, some will take weeks or even months.

However, as a wholesaler, you must fulfill the demands of your retail customers. And you will find that none of them want to receive things late.

Hence, check out the shipping times of different Chinese manufacturers and go for the one with a better shipping time. While looking for a better shipping time, don’t forget to look for the best shipping method.

9. Experience

Experience rules over everything. As the Chinese clothing industry is expanding every while, many manufacturing companies are being born. Although some new companies will look lucrative with their offers, they actually do not have the necessary experience to fulfill the demand of customers.

Hence, you should go for an experienced manufacturing company. Also, keep in mind that experience does not denote an old company. It denotes the company which has served just the type of clothing you want for a long time and can ensure the same in the future.