.png)
Where US apparel is made now, what it costs to land, and how long it takes.
Vietnam passed China as the biggest source of US apparel in 2025, the Supreme Court threw out one set of tariffs in February 2026, and a new set took effect in July. This guide puts the current numbers in one place: import shares by country, the 2026 tariff rates, lead times from Asia, Mexico and US factories, and how to decide what to make where. Every figure links to its source at the bottom.
By Shahrooz "Shawn" Kohan, CEO, AIMS360. Updated October 26, 2026. First published July 10, 2025.
Short answer: imported apparel is still cheaper at the factory door, and made in USA is still the fastest. In 2025 the US imported $77.88 billion of apparel. Vietnam supplied 21.5% of it, China 13.7%, Bangladesh 10.5%, then India, Cambodia, Indonesia and Mexico. Since July 24, 2026 most of those countries pay a Section 301 tariff of 10% or 12.5% on top of the regular duty, so a cotton knit T-shirt from Vietnam now pays about 29% of its customs value in duty. Total lead time runs about 90 to 150 days from Asia and 45 to 90 days from Mexico. US factories ship finished goods in days, with no duty, but at higher labor cost and with far less capacity than a decade ago. Most brands end up with a mix: overseas for steady core styles, Mexico or the US for speed, reorders and small runs.
Disclosure: this guide is published by AIMS360, a consumer brands ERP built on apparel and founded in 1984. We don't make or import clothing ourselves; our software tracks production and landed cost for brands that do. Import, tariff, freight and employment figures come from the public sources listed at the bottom. Tariff rules change often, so check any style's rate with your customs broker before you place a PO.
Where does US apparel come from?
Vietnam took the top spot for a full year for the first time in 2025. China's share fell by about a third in one year.
The Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) counted $77.88 billion of apparel imports in 2025. Vietnam shipped $16.74 billion of it, 21.5%. China shipped $10.64 billion, and its share dropped from 20.83% in 2024 to 13.66%, the biggest one-year move on the list. Bangladesh gained, from 9.26% to 10.53%, and Cambodia's shipments grew about 27%. Seven countries supplied two thirds of everything.
| Country | 2025 imports | Share | Common product types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | $16.74B | 21.50% | Knit tops, outerwear, activewear, performance wear |
| China | $10.64B | 13.66% | The widest range: outerwear, sweaters, synthetics, kidswear, accessories |
| Bangladesh | $8.20B | 10.53% | Cotton basics, knit tops, denim, sweaters |
| India | $4.95B | 6.35% | Cotton woven tops, dresses, embellished and embroidered pieces |
| Cambodia | $4.83B | 6.20% | Knit basics, activewear |
| Indonesia | $4.66B | 5.98% | Knitwear, activewear, outerwear |
| Mexico | $2.59B | 3.33% | Denim, uniforms and workwear, knit basics |
| All other countries | $25.27B | 32.45% | Central America for basics; Pakistan and Sri Lanka; Italy, Portugal and Turkey for higher-end programs; many smaller origins |
| Total | $77.88B | 100% |
Values and shares: OTEXA full-year 2025 data, as reported by Apparel Resources (see sources). Product types are the categories buyers commonly source from each country, not official statistics. Made in USA goods aren't imports, so they don't appear here; see US factories.
Most of the shift followed the 2025 tariffs, which hit China hardest. Buyers moved programs out of China toward Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia, and some moved closer to home. If your sourcing already sits in Vietnam, note that it's now in the higher tariff band too (next section).
What tariffs apply to imported apparel in 2026?
Three changes in seven months. Here's where things stand as of October 2026.
IEEPA tariffs struck down
In Learning Resources v. Trump the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act doesn't authorize tariffs. The country-by-country tariffs imposed under that law in 2025 ended.
A temporary 10% tariff
A 10% tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act filled the gap. Section 122 tariffs are limited to 150 days, and this one expired on July 24, 2026.
Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies
After forced-labor investigations, USTR put a 10% or 12.5% tariff on imports from 60 trading partners. For most of them it stacks on top of the regular duty.
Here's what that means for the countries apparel brands buy from most:
| Origin | Section 301 add-on | What else to know |
|---|---|---|
| China | 12.5% | Most apparel also still pays the earlier 7.5% Section 301 duty, so the add-on stack is about 20%. |
| Vietnam | 12.5% | Left out of the textile tariff-rate quota offered to four other Asian suppliers. |
| Bangladesh | 10% | Tariff-rate quota announced, tied to use of US cotton and textile inputs. |
| Cambodia | 10% | Tariff-rate quota announced, same terms. |
| Indonesia | 10% | Tariff-rate quota announced, same terms. |
| India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | 10% | Flat add-on. |
| Mexico | 10% | Goods that qualify under USMCA are exempt. Qualifying apparel also pays no regular duty. |
| Honduras | 10% | CAFTA-DR textile exemptions apply. |
| Nicaragua | 12.5% | CAFTA-DR textile exemptions apply. |
| Turkey | 12.5% | Flat add-on. |
| European Union (Italy, Portugal) | Capped at 10% combined | The cap includes the regular duty, so apparel whose regular rate is already above 10% pays no extra. |
| Made in USA | None | No import duty on finished goods. Imported fabric and trims still pay duty when they come in. |
Rates per EY and Holland & Knight summaries of the July 2026 USTR action (see sources). The tariff-rate quota lets a set volume of apparel in at a lower rate; USTR said it would start no earlier than September 1, 2026, so check its current status with your broker.
What it adds up to on one style
Take a cotton knit T-shirt, HTS 6109.10.00, which carries a regular duty of 16.5%. The duty bill as a share of its customs value:
| Made in | Regular duty | Section 301 | Total duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 16.5% | 12.5% | 29% |
| China | 16.5% | 7.5% earlier + 12.5% new | 36.5% |
| Bangladesh | 16.5% | 10% | 26.5% before any quota |
| Mexico, USMCA-qualifying | 0% | Exempt | 0% |
| USA | None | None | 0% |
Customs processing and harbor fees come on top. A shirt only qualifies under USMCA if it meets the agreement's yarn-forward rule, which means the yarn and fabric have to come from the region too.
How long does apparel take from overseas vs made in USA?
The ocean is only part of it. Sampling, fabric, approvals, production, customs and the last truck all count.
| Where it's made | Getting it to a US warehouse | Typical total lead time |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Truck, about 1 to 5 days. No customs. | The shortest of the three. It depends mostly on the factory's queue and your fabric. |
| Mexico | Truck across the border, about 2 to 7 days. | About 45 to 90 days from order to delivery. |
| Asia (China, Vietnam, Indonesia) | Ocean, about 20 to 45 days. Shanghai to Los Angeles was 18 days and Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles 20 to 23 days, port to door, in October 2026. | About 90 to 150 days from order to delivery. |
Totals and the truck and ocean ranges: Sourcify. Lane times: Warp's captured rates for a 40-foot high cube container. See sources.
Lead time matters more than it looks on a spreadsheet. A 120-day lead time means you commit to sizes and colors four months before you know what sells, and you usually pay the factory before the goods earn anything. A 30-day lead time lets you chase a hit style inside the same season. That's the real trade most brands are making when they compare a cheaper overseas quote to a pricier domestic one.
Made in USA vs imported apparel: which costs less?
Imports usually win on the unit quote. Compare landed cost and cash tied up, and the answer depends on the style.
Importing
- Lower labor cost per unit and almost unlimited capacity.
- Duty of roughly 26% to 37% of customs value on a basic cotton tee from Asia (table above).
- About 90 to 150 days of lead time from Asia, so bigger bets, earlier.
- Cash goes out to the factory months before the goods sell.
- Freight, brokerage and inland delivery on every shipment.
Made in USA
- No import duty on finished goods.
- Goods reach the warehouse days after they're finished.
- Smaller runs and quick reorders of styles that are working.
- Higher labor cost per unit and a much smaller factory base.
- Imported fabric and trims still pay duty upstream.
Compare landed cost, not FOB
Landed cost is the factory price plus freight, duty and tariffs, customs brokerage and fees, and inland delivery. Here's an illustration with assumed numbers: a factory in Vietnam quotes $6.00 a unit for a cotton tee. Duty at 29% adds $1.74. Say ocean freight works out to $0.40 a unit and brokerage and fees to $0.15. That shirt lands at about $8.29, not $6.00. If a domestic factory quotes near that number, the shorter lead time, smaller minimums and faster reorders may be worth more than the difference. Use your own freight and fee numbers; these change by lane, season and volume.
Where is apparel still made in the USA?
Mostly in Los Angeles and New York, and the base keeps shrinking.
The American Apparel and Footwear Association says about 97% of clothing and footwear in the US is imported. US apparel manufacturing employed about 71,400 people in September 2026 (BLS, preliminary), against 113,100 in January 2019 and 504,000 in January 2000.
| Where | Apparel manufacturing jobs | What it's known for |
|---|---|---|
| United States | About 71,400 (September 2026, preliminary) | Down more than a third since January 2019. |
| California | About 22,400 (September 2026) | The biggest hub by far, centered on Los Angeles: cut and sew, denim, basics, activewear, contract sewing. About 35,400 in January 2019. |
| New York | About 7,000 (September 2026) | The garment district: samples, designer and small-batch production. |
Employment: BLS Current Employment Statistics via FRED (see sources). California and New York together account for about 4 in 10 US apparel manufacturing jobs.
Outside those two states, US production is spread across smaller clusters, such as knits and hosiery in the Carolinas and Alabama, swimwear in South Florida, and uniform and workwear makers across the South. For a brand, that usually means finding domestic capacity takes more legwork than finding it overseas, and a good contractor's queue sets your lead time more than the truck does.
How do brands decide what to make where?
Few brands pick one origin. The usual pattern is to match the origin to the style's job.
| The style or situation | Usually fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Core basics with steady demand | Asia | Lowest unit cost, and demand is predictable enough to commit four or five months out. |
| Trend pieces and short seasons | Mexico or USA | You commit closer to the season and can chase what sells. |
| Reorders of a proven seller | USA or Mexico | A reorder that lands in weeks can catch the same season. One that takes four months usually can't. |
| First runs, samples and tests | USA | Small minimums and a factory you can visit this week. |
| Retail programs with fixed ship windows | The origin that hits the window every time | Late or mislabeled shipments cost chargebacks that eat the savings. |
| Programs where USMCA rules can be met | Mexico | No duty and no Section 301 tariff, if yarn and fabric also come from the region. |
Whatever the mix, two numbers decide whether it's working: landed cost per unit by style, and how long each stage really takes compared to plan. Brands that track both by vendor stop guessing which factory is cheaper and which one is late.
How AIMS360 tracks domestic and imported production in one system
One style record from the factory PO to the retailer's dock, whether it's sewn in Los Angeles or shipped from Ho Chi Minh City.
POs and cut tickets by style, color and size
Vendor purchase orders cover finished goods and raw materials; cut tickets cover what you make with contractors. Both carry the full size breakdown, and each production stage can carry its own vendor.
Production stages, counted in units
Production tracking holds how many units are in cutting, sewing or finishing, or in production, on the water, in customs and on the truck. Each stage has an estimated date and an actual date, so you can see which vendors run late.
Landed cost per unit
Freight, duty, brokerage and fees roll into landed cost per unit, so margin reports use what the goods really cost. Duty rates and classification come from your customs broker.
Receive once, sell everywhere
Goods are received against the PO and ASN into one inventory that wholesale, EDI for 350+ retailers, Shopify and your warehouse or 3PL all draw from.
“With AIMS360 fashion software, I can instantly shift production from one vendor to another, whether it's overseas or here in the U.S. The system handles every detail, from purchase orders to inventory and tracking, so I can manufacture locally one day and import the next, all with complete confidence and zero disruption. We tried two other fashion software solutions, but nothing matched the flexibility and reliability of AIMS360. It's made us truly agile in a fast-moving market.”
An AIMS360 customer
AIMS360 doesn't schedule factory machines or lines, and it doesn't shorten a lead time by itself. What it gives you is the visibility planning depends on: what's committed, where every unit is, and what it really cost to land. If you import finished goods, start with ERP for apparel importers. If you cut and sew with contractors, see ERP for apparel manufacturers.
Apparel sourcing, tariffs and lead times: FAQ
Direct answers to the questions brands ask most when they're deciding where to make a style.
On the factory quote, importing is usually cheaper because overseas labor costs less per unit. On landed cost the gap is smaller than it was. Most Asian apparel now pays a 10% or 12.5% Section 301 tariff on top of its regular duty, so a cotton knit T-shirt from Vietnam pays about 29% of its customs value in duty, plus freight and brokerage. US-made goods pay none of that and reach the warehouse months sooner. Compare landed cost per unit, not FOB price, and count the cash you tie up while goods are on the water.
Plan on roughly 90 to 150 days from order to US delivery for production in China, Vietnam or Indonesia, per Sourcify. The ocean leg alone runs about 18 days from Shanghai to Los Angeles and 20 to 23 days from Ho Chi Minh City, port to door, on Warp's October 2026 rates. Sampling, fabric, approvals, customs and inland freight make up the rest.
Domestic production is the fastest because there's no ocean leg and no customs: finished goods move by truck in about 1 to 5 days. Mexico runs about 45 to 90 days from order to delivery, and Asia about 90 to 150 days, per Sourcify. The shorter the lead time, the closer to the season you can commit to quantities and the faster you can reorder a style that sells.
Since July 24, 2026, apparel from Vietnam and China pays a 12.5% Section 301 tariff on top of the regular duty. Most apparel from China also still pays the earlier 7.5% Section 301 duty. A cotton knit T-shirt (HTS 6109.10.00, 16.5% regular duty) comes to about 29% of customs value from Vietnam and about 36.5% from China. Rates change, so confirm each style's classification and current rate with your customs broker.
Vietnam. In 2025 it shipped $16.74 billion of apparel to the US, 21.5% of the $77.88 billion total, and passed China for the first time over a full year. China fell to 13.66% from 20.83% in 2024. Bangladesh was third at 10.53%. The figures are from the Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA).
Usually, by several weeks to two months. Sourcify puts total lead time at roughly 45 to 90 days for Mexico against 90 to 150 days for Asia, because finished goods cross by truck in 2 to 7 days instead of spending weeks at sea. Mexican labor costs more per unit than most of Asia, and USMCA-qualifying apparel enters with no duty and is exempt from the 2026 Section 301 tariff.
Very little. The American Apparel and Footwear Association says about 97% of clothing and footwear in the US is imported. US apparel manufacturing employed about 71,400 people in September 2026 (BLS, preliminary), down from 113,100 in January 2019. California has the most, about 22,400, mostly in Los Angeles.
AIMS360 gives you the visibility planning depends on rather than shortening lead times by itself. Vendor POs and cut tickets carry style, color and size; every production stage carries an estimated and an actual date and a unit count, whether the stage is sewing in Los Angeles or on a boat from Vietnam. You see which stage each run is in, how long stages really take against plan and which vendors run late. AIMS360 doesn't schedule factory machines or lines.
Yes. In AIMS360 the same style record runs from the vendor PO or cut ticket through production stages, shipping, customs and receiving into one inventory, and from there to wholesale orders, EDI documents for 350+ retailers, Shopify and your warehouse or 3PL. Landed cost per unit, with freight, duty and fees rolled in, is calculated from the same PO.
Landed cost is what one unit really costs by the time it's on your shelf: the factory price plus freight, duty and tariffs, customs brokerage and fees, and inland delivery. An $8 blouse can easily land at $11. Pricing and margin decisions should use the landed number, which is why AIMS360 rolls those costs into landed cost per unit.
Where the numbers on this page come from
Read between October 20 and 26, 2026. Import figures are full-year 2025. Tariff rates are as of October 2026 and change often; they aren't customs advice.
- US Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel, OTEXA trade data: US apparel imports by country, full year 2025: $77.88 billion total; country values and shares.
- Apparel Resources, February 26, 2026, Bangladesh raises US apparel market share to 10.53%, China's exports decline: Vietnam 21.50%, China 13.66% (20.83% in 2024), Bangladesh 10.53% (9.26%), citing OTEXA.
- Just Style (Sheng Lu, University of Delaware), March 10, 2026, China knocked off top spot as US apparel supplier amid trade shifts: Vietnam overtook China as the largest US apparel supplier in 2025.
- Thomson Reuters, February 20, 2026, Supreme Court rejects IEEPA as a tariff statute: Learning Resources v. Trump.
- EY Tax News, July 24, 2026, USTR takes final action imposing tariffs on 60 trading partners as Section 122 tariffs expire: Section 301 rates of 10% and 12.5% stacking on regular duty; Section 122 expiry.
- Holland & Knight, July 2026, New Section 301 forced-labor tariffs imposed on 60 countries: Rates by country, USMCA and CAFTA-DR exemptions, EU cap, textile tariff-rate quota for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
- Ecotextile News, July 26, 2026, Vietnam shut out of US textile break: Vietnam and China at 12.5%; Vietnam outside the quota.
- US International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule: HTS 6109.10.00, cotton knit T-shirts: 16.5% general duty rate.
- Warp, captured October 20, 2026, Shanghai to Los Angeles ocean freight: 18 days, 40-foot high cube, port to door.
- Warp, captured October 11, 2026, Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles ocean freight: 20 to 23 days, port to door.
- Sourcify, Nearshoring apparel manufacturing: Mexico or Asia: Total lead time about 45 to 90 days for Mexico and 90 to 150 days for Asia; truck 2 to 7 days, ocean 20 to 45 days.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED, All employees, apparel manufacturing (CES3231500001): 71,400 in September 2026 (preliminary); 113,100 in January 2019; 504,000 in January 2000.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED, Apparel manufacturing employment in California: About 22,400 in September 2026; about 35,400 in January 2019.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED, Apparel manufacturing employment in New York: About 7,000 in September 2026.
- WRVO Public Media (NPR), April 23, 2025, How did this get here? Your wardrobe: AAFA: about 97% of clothing and footwear in the US is imported.
This page replaces our July 2025 version, which used estimated 2023 to 2025 shares. Those estimates have been replaced with reported figures.
See a factory PO become sellable inventory
Bring one style you import and one you make here. We'll walk both through the PO, production stages, landed cost and receiving, and show you where each one stands today.
