Pakistan is strongest for terry towels and bath linen, India for home textiles and organic cotton, Bangladesh for garments at volume, and China for synthetics, bedding, promotional products and speed.
Start with the product
The best country depends mostly on what you are making. Each country has clusters of mills that specialise, and working inside a strong cluster gets you better prices, better quality and easier sampling.
| Product | Usually strongest | Also consider |
|---|---|---|
| Terry towels, bath linen | Pakistan | India |
| Bed linen, sheeting | Pakistan, India | China for quilts and pillows |
| Kitchen and table linen | India | Pakistan |
| T-shirts, polos, uniforms | Bangladesh | India, China |
| Workwear, hi-vis | Bangladesh | Pakistan, China |
| Knitwear, sweaters | China | Bangladesh, India |
| Microfibre, synthetics | China | — |
| Promotional bags and products | China | India for jute |
Minimum order quantities
Minimums vary by product and mill. As a guide:
- Towel and linen mills often start around 500 pieces per colour.
- Garment factories often start around 300 to 1,000 pieces per style and colour.
- Printed promotional items often start around 500 to 1,000 pieces.
- China is often most flexible for small development runs.
Combining colours, using stock fabric, or splitting a range across two mills can bring minimums down.
Lead times and shipping
Allow about 10 to 16 weeks from brief to delivery for a new product, including sampling. Sea transit to Melbourne is roughly 14 to 20 days from China, 20 to 30 days from India, 25 to 35 days from Pakistan and 30 to 40 days from Bangladesh.
Duty
Qualifying goods from China and India are tariff-free under ChAFTA and AI-ECTA, goods from Bangladesh currently enter duty-free, and goods from Pakistan pay the general rate, usually 0% or 5%. See how trade agreements cut textile duties.
Compliance and audits
Whichever country you choose, check the factory's social compliance and certifications, such as amfori BSCI, Sedex/SMETA, OEKO-TEX or GOTS, and inspect before shipment. We only shortlist factories with current audits and inspect every order to AQL 2.5.
General information only, current at 25 September 2026. It is not legal, tax or customs advice. Tariff rates depend on the exact classification and rules of origin, so confirm your obligations with a licensed customs broker or the Australian Border Force before you import.