Sourcing & Supplier Selection
Questions about choosing and briefing a knitwear factory: quotes, samples, MOQs, lead times and what to put in writing before a deposit.
25 questionsAll Talk topics
Questions in this topic
- Our first knitwear order: should we compare FOB or DDP quotes?
- Our factory wants to switch to a different fabric mill mid-order. What should we require?
- What should our sealed sample approval record include so bulk can be checked against it?
- Our factory's delivery date keeps slipping. What should we ask for each week?
- One factory quoted far below the others. What should we check before choosing it?
- Our first order ships in two parts. When should the inspections happen?
- The factory quoted EXW. What costs are we still responsible for?
- The factory charges a sampling fee. What should it cover, and is it refundable?
- Should we nominate our own fabric mill, or let the factory source the fabric?
- Our factory wants to subcontract part of our order to another workshop. What should we ask first?
- Should we use a sourcing agent or work directly with a knitwear factory?
- What should a tech pack for a basic tee include so factories can quote accurately?
- The factory wants to run our repeat order without a new pre-production sample. Is that safe?
- The mill sent lab dips for our hoodie colours. What should we check before approving one?
- The factory charges setup fees for screens, embroidery digitising and custom trims. What should we agree?
- The factory wants a plus or minus 3% tolerance on shipped quantity. Is that normal?
- How should we plan a knitwear order around the Chinese New Year factory holiday?
- What does OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 cover, and how do we check that a supplier’s certificate is real?
- We import cotton tees from China. What supply-chain documents should we ask for under UFLPA?
- Private label or custom cut-and-sew: what is included in each, and what should we ask about minimums?
- Our knitwear order is three weeks late. Should we pay for air freight, ship part by air, or wait for sea?
- The factory wants a minimum quantity per colour for our tees. Why, and how can we lower it?
- A container of our tees arrived water damaged. Who was supposed to insure it under FOB or CIF?
- What should the factory’s commercial invoice say for our knit tees and hoodies so US customs does not hold the shipment?
- The factory gave us an HTS code for our hoodies. Can we rely on it for customs?
Background guides
- Bulk Clothing Production China: Scaling Volume Without Losing Specification Control
- Apparel Supply Chain Management: Inventory, Lead Time and Supplier Risk Controls
- Clothing Manufacturer Audit Checklist: Technical, Social and Security Audits Explained
- Apparel Sampling Process Explained: What Each Round Is For
- Questions to Ask a Clothing Manufacturer: The Questions and the Answers That Actually Matter
