A Comprehensive Guide to Import Vietnamese Clothing in 2024

A country on the rise and the greatest beneficiary of Sino-Us trade wars, importing clothing from Vietnam comes with a multitude of benefits that can help you secure a nifty profit. However, it can be a frustrating and challenging process considering cultural gap, language barrier and the complexity of the country’s import and export regulations and procedures. Here we’ve compiled a complete guide on the best information needed for importing Vietnamese clothes without hassles.

Table of Contents

• Why import clothes from Vietnam?
  • Free Trade Agreement
  • Proximity to China
  • Infrastructure
  • Low Labor Costs
  • Government Incentives
• What kind of garments can you import from Vietnam?
• Clothing and textile fairs in Vietnam
  • SaigonTex
  • Vietnam Int’l Textile & Garment Industry Exhibition
  • Hong Kong Exhibitions
• Is it cheaper to buy clothes from Vietnam than from China?
• What’s the standard delivery time?
• How to communicate with Vietnamese suppliers?
• 6 easy steps to import clothes from Vietnamese clothing factories
  • Prepare tech packs
  • Sampling
  • Compliant tests
  • Place order
  • Labeling
  • Pre-shipment quality inspection

Why import clothes from Vietnam?

Though dwarf in size while compared with the manufacturing in the northern neighbor of China, clothes production in Vietnam comes with a list of advantages.

Free Trade Agreement

Vietnam has been actively facilitating Free Trade Agreements around the world.

In 2000, the United States and Vietnam has signed a bilateral trade agreement that came into effect in 2001.

In 2007, the country became the 150th member of the WTO.

In addition, Vietnam is also a long established member of ASEAN that has concluded trade agreements with China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Chili and Japan.

In June 2019, the country has just signed a significant free trade deal with the European Union that will slash duties on most goods.

Proximity to China

The close proximity of Vietnam to China makes it a China Plus One destination for many big brands. Since Vietnam relies heavily on China for raw materials, the close proximity in geographic location makes sure there’s a strong backup in manufacturing process.

Infrastructure

The country’s strategic location in Asia and long coastline, extensive railway network system allow manufacturers to ship easily all across the world.

Low Labor Costs

The minimum monthly wages in Vietnam in 2019, though vary depending on regions, ranges from US$125 to US$180, only half of the minimum wages in China.

Government Incentives

Over the past decades, the Vietnamese government has spared no efforts to improving business policies, labor laws, prioritize infrastructure, build industrial parks, attract foreign investment and build trade cooperation with other countries to fuel its growth.

What kind of garments can you import from Vietnam?

Vietnam houses an innumerable amount of clothing factories in various sizes in almost any niche. Some prominent types of garments produced in Vietnam are:

• T-shirts
• Hoodies / sweat shirts
• Jackets
• Pants
• Dresses
• Pajamas
• Formal wear
• Children’s clothing
• Home textiles

PS: Some fabrics and components are imported from China, which might lead to longer lead time or production interruptions.

Clothing and textile fairs in Vietnam

SaigonTex

One of the largest textile & garments expos in the region, SaigonTex, short for Saigon Textile & Garment Industry Expo, takes place every April in Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC). It’s held at the same time with Vietnam International Textile & Garment Industry Exhibition and at the same location, allowing you to attend both events at the same time. Expect to find a huge list of products including apparel, fabrics, accessories, machinery for apparel and textile, etc.

Vietnam Int’l Textile & Garment Industry Exhibition

The fair is held biannually in April and November in Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC). The fair is more dedicated to machinery for textile and apparel production.

Hong Kong Exhibitions

A large number of leading garment factories in Vietnam also take part in fashion exhibitions in Hong Kong. Some fashion trade fairs in Hong Kong are:

• Global Sources Fashion Fair
• HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week
• HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textile and Furnishings Fair

Is it cheaper to buy clothes from Vietnam than from China?

In general, the price gap between clothes made in Vietnam and those made in China isn’t big considering the costs of electricity, water, taxes and costs of raw materials to be imported from China, though the salaries for factory workers in Vietnam account for about half of what workers make in China.

What’s the standard delivery time?

The delivery time for clothes production is usually 30 to 50 days. However, expect to take longer time if the materials imported from China ran shortage of and expect interruptions in production. In addition, Vietnam also celebrates Lunar New Year as Chinese do, expect the factory to be shut down 15 days before and after the holiday.

How to communicate with Vietnamese suppliers?

The number of English speakers in Vietnam is much higher than that of China, and you wouldn’t have big problems communicating with the sales representatives of your suppliers though Vietnamese is the official language of the country.

In addition, the internet in Vietnam is not censored as in China, which means you can use facebook, twitter, whatsapp and other apps to communicate easily.

6 easy steps to import clothes from Vietnamese clothing factories

Prepare tech packs

Before approaching a clothing manufacturer in Vietnam, make sure you have prepared the tech packs including the design, material specification, size charts, etc.

Sampling

Order the first sample from two or three Vietnamese clothing manufacturers so you can compare and go with the best one.

Compliant tests

Make sure the quality of the clothes comply with regulations of the destination countries. For example, if you’re importing clothes into the US or EU, it’s imperative to make sure the garments are free from restricted chemicals and heavy metals like lead, AZO dyes, mercury, cadmium, etc.

Place order

Once you’re satisfied with the samples and compliant tests, it’s time to place orders for mass production.

Labeling

Make sure the labeling complies with the regulations in destination countries, i.e., fiber composition tag, logo tag, place of origin, washing tag, etc.

Pre-shipment quality inspection

Quality management system is vital to any production in Asia. Make sure the clothes are inspected before shipping as it’s almost impossible to return the defective goods to your suppliers.