When you’re in the market for a clothing supplier, you’ll first need to ask yourself whether you want to work with domestic manufacturers in the country you reside in (like the UK, the USA, or Canada). 

The alternative is sourcing your products from overseas clothing manufacturers, like in China or India.

For reference, when we mention domestic manufacturers, we’re mostly referring to clothing manufacturers in the USA or Europe. When we reference overseas manufacturers, we’re referring to countries like China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Of course, both of these options have distinct advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you to choose which option suits you best in terms of funding, quality, and your business ethics.

Let’s break down some of the pros and cons of working with both domestic and overseas clothing manufacturers.

We live in a world where buyers are becoming increasingly conscious about the working standards and the material quality of the clothes they’re buying.

When it comes to domestic clothing manufacturers, you’re more likely to get higher quality products with regulated labor standards.

But they’ll come at a cost – it’ll be more expensive to source your products from domestic clothing manufacturers.

If you’re going to pay the extra fees to use domestic clothing manufacturers, it’s a great idea to emphasize the fact that you’re working with local industries in your marketing material. This can really help to strengthen your brand image with buyers who are conscious about these kinds of topics.

Another great benefit to working with domestic clothing manufacturers are the shipping times.  Shipping is going to be much faster than if you were working with clothing manufacturers from overseas. 

It’s also typically cheaper than it is when you work with overseas manufacturers.

But one major downside when working with domestic clothing manufacturers is that there’s generally a much smaller choice of products when compared to manufacturers from overseas. 

This might not be an issue for you if you’re looking to manufacture generic products. But if you’re looking for something more niche, you might find that overseas suppliers are the better option.

There are plenty of overseas clothing manufacturers that can help you create products for your business, often at a much lower cost than a domestic manufacturer.

The most common overseas clothing manufacturers include China, India, Taiwan, and a host of other Asian countries. 

Young professional team. Top view of young modern people in smart casual wear discussing business while working in the creative office

For many years, clothing manufacturers from China have been the most popular, with companies that produce all types of clothing for dropshipping and resale easily found online.

It’s important to note that the quality of the products from an overseas clothing manufacturer might not be as high as domestic. And, keep in mind that the working conditions in these factories might be unregulated. 

Another potential downside is that you’ll likely experience longer shipping times for your products. Plus, shipping cost are usually more expensive in comparison to domestic manufacturers.

Okay, now that we’ve broken down some of the benefits and drawbacks of domestic and overseas clothing manufacturers, it’s time to give you all the info you need to find the right one for your business.