Guidesमार्गदर्शन
Sourcing guides, from the factory floor.
Honest, specific answers to what importers ask us every week — duty and origin, fabrics and GSM, costing, quality and shipping. No fluff, and we say where we’re not the right fit.
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Duty-free · Sourcing
How EU, UK & Canadian buyers save import duty sourcing garments from Nepal
Why Nepal-made knit garments enter the EU, UK and Canada at 0% duty even with imported fabric, how the origin rules work, and the 2026 window to plan for.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · How to
How to import clothing from Nepal: a step-by-step buyer’s guide
Learn how to import garments from Nepal step by step, from first inquiry to delivery, including duty-free access, export paperwork, freight and payment.
Updated · 3 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Nepal LDC graduation 2026: what apparel importers need to know
Nepal’s LDC graduation is scheduled for 24 November 2026. See what happens to garment duty in the EU, UK, Canada and Japan, and when each transition ends.
Updated · 9 min read
All guides
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Sourcing · Pricing
Tirupur or Nepal? Where Indian brands should make their knitwear
Tirupur or Nepal for your T-shirts and hoodies? Tax and duty, MOQ, fabric, lead time and delivery compared for Indian brands, with a quote checklist.
Published · 5 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
The Nepal–India Treaty of Trade for garments: what qualifies for 0% duty
How Nepali garments enter India at 0% basic customs duty under the Treaty of Trade: the two origin tests, a worked example, treaty vs SAFTA, and documents.
Published · 5 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Form B255, box by box: claiming Canada’s 0% LDCT on knitwear from Nepal
CBSA Form B255 field by field: who signs it, criterion C for T-shirts vs B for hoodies, LDCT code 08, direct shipment via India and six-year records.
Updated · 6 min read
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Compliance · Fabric
Supply-chain law and fabric origin: what German buyers should check in Nepal
What the LkSG asks of German buyers, how it reaches a Nepali supplier, why fabric origin matters, and the EU forced-labour rules coming in 2027.
Updated · 6 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for Italian buyers
How Italian importers bring in Nepali knitwear at 0% EU duty: paperwork, 22% import VAT, Italian fibre labels, textile EPR and small first orders.
Updated · 5 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal for Australian brands: the 50% rule, GST and lead times
Nepali knitwear enters Australia duty-free only if 50% of factory cost qualifies. Here is how the 25% fabric cap, paperwork, GST and lead times work.
Updated · 7 min read
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Sourcing · Logistics
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for UAE and Dubai buyers
Nepal-made knitwear pays 5% UAE duty on CIF plus 5% import VAT. Here is the landed-cost arithmetic, invoice attestation, documents and freight to Dubai.
Updated · 7 min read
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Duty-free · How to
How to verify a supplier’s REX number (and what the result tells you)
Check any supplier’s REX number on the European Commission’s free validation page before paying a deposit: the steps, what the result means, red flags.
Updated · 6 min read
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Duty-free · How to
Statement on origin wording, explained line by line
The EU GSP statement on origin from Annex 22-07, line by line: what to write in each gap for Nepal-made garments and the errors that cost 0% duty.
Updated · 7 min read
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Duty-free · How to
UK DCTS origin declaration vs EU REX: what’s different for garment importers
How the UK’s DCTS origin declaration differs from the EU REX statement on origin, the UK wording, and what a Nepali exporter supplies for each market.
Updated · 7 min read
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Duty-free · How to
What is a REX number? A plain guide for EU importers
What an EU REX number is, what it looks like, and how to check one for free on the European Commission’s validation page before you rely on 0% duty.
Updated · 7 min read
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Trust · How to
30/70 payment terms explained: deposits, balances, and what “against B/L” means
What 30/70 payment means in garment sourcing: why factories ask a 30% deposit, why 70% before shipment is risky, and the safer 70% against B/L.
Updated · 3 min read
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Sourcing · China plus one
Best countries to manufacture clothing in 2026: an honest comparison
China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Portugal and the small origins listicles skip, compared on price, MOQ, speed, duty and risk.
Updated · 3 min read
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Sourcing · How to
CMT vs FPP: which garment manufacturing model fits your brand?
CMT or full-package production? How each model works, what it costs, who carries which risk, and how to compare quotes across the two.
Updated · 3 min read
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Quality · How to
Combed vs carded cotton: why it decides print quality and pilling
Learn what combing removes from cotton, why combed tees print sharper and pill less, how it pairs with ring spinning, and when carded is good enough.
Updated · 2 min read
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Quality · How to
How much do cotton t-shirts shrink? Shrinkage, compacting, and the spec that prevents it
Why cotton knits shrink, what compacting does, how shrinkage is tested, the tolerance for your spec, and what to do if bulk fabric fails the test.
Updated · 8 min read
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Sourcing · Quality
CVC vs TC vs 100% polyester for uniform programmes: the blend decision
Compare cotton-rich CVC, poly-rich TC and 100% polyester for uniforms on comfort, industrial washing, embroidery, colour life and cost, by role.
Updated · 2 min read
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Pricing · How to
Garment costing sheets explained, with a real cost breakdown from our factory
See how a factory builds your price line by line, with a worked t-shirt example, the levers that really move cost, and how to read a quote.
Updated · 2 min read
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How to · Logistics
Proforma vs commercial invoice, and every other document in your garment shipment
Learn what each garment shipping document is for and who issues it, from proforma invoice to B/L and origin papers, and the errors that hold cargo.
Updated · 2 min read
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Quality · How to
Hoodie GSM guide: fleece weights from 250 to 450+, from the factory floor
Learn what hoodie GSM means, the weight bands from 250 to 450+, what hoodies weigh, brushed vs loopback at each weight, and which GSM suits your market.
Updated · 3 min read
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How to · Logistics
How much does a t-shirt weigh? Real numbers for shipping and freight
See real t-shirt weights by size and GSM from a factory that weighs them, singles to cartons, plus a method to estimate any garment’s shipping weight.
Updated · 2 min read
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Duty-free · How to
HS codes for knitwear imports: 6109, 6110 & 6105 explained, with duty rates by market
Learn which HS codes cover knit tees (6109), hoodies (6110) and polos (6105), the cotton-vs-synthetic US duty split, and rates by market and origin.
Updated · 3 min read
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Quality · How to
The pre-shipment inspection checklist for garment orders (use it or lose it)
Learn what a final inspection checks before garments ship, from quantity, AQL and measurements to labels and packing, and what to do if a lot fails.
Updated · 2 min read
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Quality · How to
Ring-spun vs open-end cotton: the yarn decision that decides your tee
Learn how ring-spun and open-end cotton are made, what each does to softness, printing, pilling and price, and which to specify for your programme.
Updated · 2 min read
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Sourcing · How to
Choosing a school uniform manufacturer: the buyer’s guide
Learn what separates a good school uniform manufacturer from a risky one: colour continuity, fabrics, built-in childrenswear safety and realistic minimums.
Updated · 4 min read
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Quality · Sourcing
Single jersey vs interlock vs piqué: knit constructions explained for buyers
Learn how single jersey, interlock and piqué are made, what each does to weight, stretch, print and cost, and which construction fits which product.
Updated · 2 min read
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How to · Quality
Size charts and grading: what your factory actually needs from you
Learn what your factory needs for sizing: a base-size spec, grade rules, points of measure and tolerances, plus the sizing traps that cause returns.
Updated · 2 min read
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Private label · Quality
Tri-blend vs CVC vs cotton for decorators: choosing blanks by print result
How cotton, CVC and tri-blend blanks take screen print, discharge, DTG and transfers, plus dye migration, pilling, fibre labelling and a choice per method.
Updated · 7 min read
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Sourcing · How to
Buying agents, buying houses & sourcing offices: how apparel middlemen work
Learn how apparel buying agents and buying houses work, what they really cost, when a middleman earns the fee, and when factory-direct is smarter.
Updated · 4 min read
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Compliance · How to
Children’s clothing manufacturing: the safety rules that actually apply
The safety rules for kidswear: cords and drawstrings, small parts, chemical limits, flammability and US CPSIA testing, and how a factory designs them in.
Updated · 5 min read
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Sourcing · How to
Corporate uniform programmes: a sourcing guide for hotels, restaurants & fleets
How hotel, restaurant and fleet uniform programmes are bought, why matching colours and sizes over years is the hard part, and when factory-direct helps.
Updated · 4 min read
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Private label · Pricing
Merch beyond print-on-demand: when creators and bands should go factory-direct
Compare print-on-demand, bulk printing and factory-direct merch for creators and bands, with the real per-unit maths, and learn when each one is right.
Updated · 4 min read
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Quality · Private label
French terry vs brushed fleece: specifying sweatshirt fabric like you mean it
Learn how French terry and brushed fleece differ in warmth, breathability, print and durability, why 3-thread fleece marks premium, and what to specify.
Updated · 4 min read
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Quality · How to
The most expensive email in apparel: “approved, go ahead”
Bulk copies your sample, mistakes included. Learn why buyers approve too fast, and the checklist that catches problems while they still cost nothing.
Updated · 3 min read
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How to · Sourcing
FOB, CMT, MOQ, AQL: a plain-English garment sourcing glossary
Learn the vocabulary of garment sourcing, from FOB, CMT, MOQ and AQL to trade paperwork, each term in one plain sentence with links to deeper guides.
Updated · 5 min read
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Trust · How to
How to verify a factory you’ll never visit: remote due diligence that actually works
How to verify an overseas factory you'll never visit: how sourcing scams work, why a live video walk is so hard to fake, and a triangulation method.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for French buyers — duty, EPR, and the paperwork that matters
For French importers and brands: 0% EU duty on Nepal-made knitwear, Refashion textile EPR since 2007, and the paperwork a Nepali supplier can handle.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for Dutch buyers — direct, with numbers
For Dutch importers: 0% EBA duty on Nepal-made knitwear, Article 23 VAT cash flow, UPV Textiel obligations, and Rotterdam as a door to the whole EU.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · China plus one
Nepal vs. Pakistan for knitwear sourcing: an honest comparison
Nepal or Pakistan for knitwear? Duty, wages, scale, risk and minimums compared honestly, with when to pick each and when to use both.
Updated · 5 min read
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Compliance · How to
OEKO-TEX, GOTS, SMETA, BSCI: what apparel certifications actually cover
Learn what OEKO-TEX, GOTS, SMETA and BSCI actually certify, which to ask a supplier for in which situation, and where we stand, stated plainly.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Quality
The polo, specified properly: piqué vs jersey, collars that stay flat, and the details buyers miss
Learn how to specify a polo properly: piqué vs jersey as a decoration choice, collars that stay flat, and how to prevent curl, twist and fade at spec.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sustainability · Compliance
Recycled fabrics without the greenwash: an honest guide for brands and promo buyers
From 27 September 2026, the EU bans generic claims like “eco-friendly” without recognised proof. Learn what rPET is, what GRS covers and what to claim.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Private label
Small-batch activewear manufacturing: a guide for independent gym-wear brands
Small-batch activewear for independent gym brands: what squat-proof means as a spec, the MOQ walls in China, and factory-direct runs at 0% EU/UK duty.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing from Nepal to the US: the honest 2026 tariff picture
Nepal has no duty-free access to the US: a cotton tee pays the standard 16.5%. As of 24 Sep 2026, no Section 301 tariffs sit on top, but that could change.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
The UK importer’s guide to sourcing knitwear from Nepal
Nepal-made knitwear enters the UK at 0% under the DCTS until at least 2029: what the scheme requires, plus EORI, CDS, postponed VAT and UK label rules.
Updated · 3 min read
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Private label · Sourcing
Buying blanks direct from the factory: a guide for decorators, promo distributors & uniform suppliers
Learn when importing custom blanks direct from a factory beats a next-day wholesaler, and when it doesn’t, with real costs, MOQs, lead times and duty.
Updated · 7 min read
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Private label · Sourcing
Heavyweight and oversized tees: sourcing 240 gsm blanks for your streetwear brand
What heavyweight means for streetwear tees (220–300 gsm), why catalogue blanks run out, and how to get a custom heavyweight blank made to your spec.
Updated · 6 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Importing apparel from Nepal to Canada: the 18% duty advantage explained
Canada charges 18% MFN duty on knit apparel; Nepal-made garments enter at 0% under LDCT. Learn the 2025 origin rules, the paperwork and the labels.
Updated · 5 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for German & DACH buyers
For German and DACH buyers: 0% EU duty under EBA, the certifications DACH buyers expect, supply-chain documentation and importing from Nepal in practice.
Updated · 5 min read
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Compliance · Private label
Relabelling blank garments for your own brand: how to do it right in the UK & EU
Relabelling blank garments under your own brand: what your label must legally show in the UK and EU, and the responsibilities you take on when you sell.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal to Japan: duty-free access as China’s share falls
Knitwear from Nepal enters Japan at 0% duty instead of 7.4–10.9% MFN, under a cut-and-sew origin rule, with small-lot minimums that suit Japanese buyers.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Private label
Schoolwear sourcing after the three-item cap: a guide for UK uniform retailers
What England’s three-item cap on branded school uniform means for UK schoolwear retailers, and when buying core school colours direct from a factory pays.
Updated · 5 min read
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Pricing · Sourcing
What does a hoodie cost to manufacture? The full breakdown
Learn why blank hoodies sell for $10 to $30: fleece consumption, CMT, trims, what moves the number, and how to sanity-check a quote that looks too good.
Updated · 4 min read
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Sourcing · How to
Apparel production lead time & buying calendar: when to place your order
Learn how long a garment order really takes, from sampling and fabric to bulk, QC and freight, and count back to know when to place your order.
Updated · 2 min read
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China plus one · Sourcing
China Plus One for apparel: is Nepal your second sourcing country?
How to run a China Plus One apparel programme: split styles or volume, keep fit and shade consistent, and where Nepal fits for knit basics.
Updated · 8 min read
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Compliance · How to
Clothing label & care-label requirements for the EU, UK, US & Canada
Textile labelling requirements and care label regulations for the EU, UK, US and Canada: fibre content, care symbols, origin and manufacturer ID.
Updated · 7 min read
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Pricing · Sourcing
What does it cost to manufacture a t-shirt? A cost breakdown for brands
How a t-shirt’s price is built: fabric, consumption, CMT, trims and packing, with a worked example, why quotes differ, and how duty changes landed cost.
Updated · 8 min read
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Fabric · How to
Cotton vs. CVC vs. poly-cotton: which blend for your t-shirt?
How 100% cotton, CVC and poly-cotton compare on feel, shrinkage, colour, print and import duty, and the spec lines to send your factory for a t-shirt.
Updated · 7 min read
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Ethics · Sourcing
Ethical garment manufacturing: the questions to ask any factory
The questions on wages, hours, subcontracting, safety, audits and energy that separate responsible garment factories from greenwashing.
Updated · 6 min read
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How to · Startups
A first-time importer’s guide to working with a garment factory
The whole path of a first garment import: what to prepare, how to brief and compare quotes, sampling, payment, inspection, freight, customs and mistakes.
Updated · 8 min read
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How to · Quality
Garment QC and AQL inspection: an importer’s guide
Learn how garment QC and AQL inspection work: defect classes, inspection stages, a copy-and-use QC checklist, and how to inspect an order before it ships.
Updated · 2 min read
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Fabric · How to
GSM explained: what 180, 200 and 240 GSM mean for t-shirts and polos
What GSM means on a t-shirt, what 180, 200, 220 and 240 GSM feel like, the best GSM for tees and polos, and how to write it into your spec.
Updated · 7 min read
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Sourcing · Trust
How to find and vet an overseas clothing manufacturer (without getting scammed)
Learn how to find an overseas garment factory, spot scam red flags, verify a supplier and structure payments so you’re protected.
Updated · 3 min read
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Sourcing · How to
How to import clothing from Nepal: a step-by-step buyer’s guide
Learn how to import garments from Nepal step by step, from first inquiry to delivery, including duty-free access, export paperwork, freight and payment.
Updated · 3 min read
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Sourcing · Trust
Paying a new overseas factory safely: TT vs Letter of Credit
Learn how to pay a garment manufacturer safely: TT vs Letter of Credit, deposit structures, and the red flags that mean you should walk away.
Updated · 2 min read
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Duty-free · Pricing
How to legally reduce your apparel import duty
Duty is customs value times rate. The legal levers for knitwear importers: correct HS codes, preferential origin with the right proof, and customs value.
Updated · 10 min read
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Startups · How to
How to start a clothing brand: from idea to your first production run
A roadmap from clothing idea to first production run: blanks or cut-and-sew, your first capsule, tech pack, size split, sampling, payment and timing.
Updated · 8 min read
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Logistics · How to
Incoterms for apparel imports: EXW, FOB & CIF from Nepal explained
Learn what EXW, FOB and CIF mean for importing garments, who pays for freight and carries the risk at each stage, and how landlocked Nepal ships.
Updated · 2 min read
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Low MOQ · Startups
Low-MOQ clothing manufacturing: how small brands keep first orders affordable
Learn why garment MOQs exist, what “low” honestly means, how emerging brands find low-MOQ manufacturers, and how to keep a first order affordable.
Updated · 3 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
How EU, UK & Canadian buyers save import duty sourcing garments from Nepal
Why Nepal-made knit garments enter the EU, UK and Canada at 0% duty even with imported fabric, how the origin rules work, and the 2026 window to plan for.
Updated · 4 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Nepal LDC graduation 2026: what apparel importers need to know
Nepal’s LDC graduation is scheduled for 24 November 2026. See what happens to garment duty in the EU, UK, Canada and Japan, and when each transition ends.
Updated · 9 min read
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Sourcing · China plus one
Nepal vs. Bangladesh vs. India for knit basics: a 2026 sourcing comparison
Where to make t-shirts and polos in 2026: Nepal, Bangladesh and India compared on duty access, tariffs, minimum orders and supply-chain risk.
Updated · 4 min read
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Private label · How to
Private-label branding & retail-ready packaging for your knitwear
What a private-label knitwear pack contains, from labels and barcodes to polybags and cartons, who supplies what, the artwork needed, and common mistakes.
Updated · 8 min read
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How to · Sourcing
Private label vs. white label vs. OEM vs. ODM: which do you actually need?
What private label, white label, OEM and ODM mean for clothing brands: who owns the design, and what each does to MOQ, cost, lead time and exclusivity.
Updated · 7 min read
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How to · Startups
Sample to bulk: what to expect on your first clothing production order
The stages from first sample to shipped bulk order, what you approve at each, a realistic timeline, and what can change between sample and bulk.
Updated · 7 min read
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How to · Fabric
Screen print vs. DTG vs. embroidery: decorating your apparel
How screen print, DTG and embroidery compare on run size, colours, fabric, feel, durability and cost, with artwork files, pitfalls and a decision guide.
Updated · 8 min read
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Sourcing · Logistics
Shipping garments from a landlocked country: how orders leave Nepal
Nepal is landlocked, so how do garments ship? Sea freight via Kolkata or Visakhapatnam, air from Kathmandu, and the lead times and Incoterms to plan for.
Updated · 2 min read
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Duty-free · How to
Single vs. double transformation rules of origin, explained for apparel importers
Single vs double transformation, with the actual EU, UK, Canadian and Japanese rules for knitwear, a worked duty example and the post-graduation outlook.
Updated · 8 min read
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How to · Startups
What is a tech pack — and what your factory needs to quote your order
What goes in a tech pack, a sample measurement table with tolerances, the details that change your HS code, and the minimum a factory needs to quote.
Updated · 7 min read
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Our story · Trust
Nepal, honour, and doing business the Nepali way
How to trust a Nepali garment supplier you have never met: the culture of honour behind how the factory works, and the checks that prove it.
Updated · 2 min read
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Our story · Sustainability
Women at the heart of our factory: why 80% matters
80% of our Gaindakot production floor are women, in skilled work close to home, paid at or above Nepal’s minimum wage. What it means for buyers.
Updated · 2 min read
Namaste — let’s talk
Tell us what you want to make.
Send a tech pack, a photo or just an idea. You’ll hear back from the people who run the floor — usually within 24 hours, Nepal time.
No WhatsApp and rather not email? Request a call-back and we’ll phone you.