In the United States, origin labelling for textile apparel falls under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and the FTC rules in 16 CFR Part 303. For imported products, the label must show the country where the product was processed or manufactured. The rules also set out how origin is disclosed when a product is made in one place from materials made elsewhere. The customs authority has its own origin rules for import purposes, and the two should agree on the label.

Read the FTC rules, not only a template

Look at the country-of-origin section of 16 CFR Part 303 on eCFR, which explains requirements for imported textile products and for products made in the US from imported materials. The FTC business guidance on textile labelling adds examples. The 2014 amendments to the Textile Rules, published in the Federal Register, updated several labelling provisions, so older checklists may be out of date.

Keep records that support the label

Whatever the label says, you need documents showing where the fabric was knitted, dyed and finished, and where cutting and sewing took place. Ask the factory for fabric purchase records and production records for each order, not only a certificate. If the fabric mill changes, the origin facts may change too.

Check customs origin separately

For customs purposes, the origin of textile and apparel products is set by 19 CFR 102.21, which applies a sequence of rules; for many sewn knit garments the result points to the country where the garment was wholly assembled, but check the rule for your product. CBP's guidance on marking of country of origin also notes that when materials come from one country and assembly happens in another, an importer may request a binding ruling under 19 CFR Part 177. Do not assume the FTC label wording and the customs determination work the same way.

Put the agreed origin wording into the label artwork approval, so it is reviewed each time the fabric source or sewing location changes.

Also check whether any retailer you sell through has its own labelling or origin documentation requirements. Large retailers often ask for origin declarations and supporting documents in their vendor manuals, and they may audit them. Agreeing one set of records with the factory at the start of the order is much easier than reconstructing them after a retailer or customs officer asks questions.