China, Bangladesh or Vietnam — what actually differs
The three destinations are compared constantly and usually on one number, which is the wrong number. Cost per piece depends on the style, the fabric and the quantity; what separates the three countries is the shape of the supply chain behind them, and that shape decides how fast you can develop, how much range you can hold and what happens when a colour has to change.
Note on the table below: the country-level figures are industry benchmarks for each destination, not Unitex’s own terms. Unitex’s standard terms are MOQ 2,000 pieces per style and colour (kids’ and sport bras 3,600) and bulk production 45–60 days for new styles and 30–40 days for repeats. Benchmark figures are indicative and vary by product type and supplier.
| Factor | China | Bangladesh | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical MOQ (industry benchmark) | ~2,000 pcs | 5,000–10,000 pcs | 2,000–5,000 pcs |
| Typical lead time (industry benchmark) | 90–100 days | 120–150 days | 90–120 days |
| Fabric availability | Full vertical chain, knitted in-country | Largely import-dependent | Partly import-dependent |
| Sampling speed | Days — mills, dye houses and cut-and-sew in one corridor | Slower, because fabric comes in | Slower on fabric, faster on cut-and-sew |
| Small-run flexibility | Workable from 1,000–2,000 pcs | Poor at small quantities | Moderate |
| Best fit | Range development, certification-heavy programmes, small and mid runs | Very large basic-cotton volumes | Nearshore for US brands, mid-to-large runs |
Where each destination genuinely wins
China — range and development speed
China’s advantage is that fabric knitting, elastic and waistband weaving, dyeing, finishing, printing and cut-and-sew sit inside a province, often within a few hours of one another. The commercial consequence is that a colour change, a waistband re-weave or a print strike-off does not wait on a shipment between countries. That is what makes a 7–10 day counter sample possible, and it is also what makes a small run workable at all.
Bangladesh — very large basic volumes
Bangladesh is genuinely competitive on high-volume basic cotton items, and the tariff position in some markets favours it. The trade is that the fabric is largely imported, so range is narrower and sampling slower, and the minimum quantities are set for volume programmes rather than for a first season.
Vietnam — nearshore for US programmes
Vietnam sits between the two: a growing textile base, shorter transit to the US west coast, and a mid-range MOQ. It is a sensible option for a brand whose primary constraint is transit time to North America rather than range development.
The comparison buyers should actually make
Comparing countries at the headline level produces a decision nobody can act on. The comparison that works is per style: the same brief sent to each destination, priced at the same quantity, on the same trade term, with the sampling route and the MOQ basis stated. Once those are fixed, the differences that remain are the real ones — fabric availability, sampling speed and what the supplier can commit to in a peak season.
If you are comparing within China rather than across countries, the useful questions are different: see the sourcing process step by step and how MOQ governs your unit cost.
Also in Asia-Pacific: the Philippines.
· Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. — OEM & ODM underwear sourcing partner
| Supplier | Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — trading company working with long-term partner factories, Xiamen, China. |
|---|---|
| Basis of comparison | Per style, same quantity, same trade term, sampling route stated — country-level figures below are industry benchmarks, not Unitex terms |
| China — MOQ (industry benchmark) | ~2,000 pcs |
| China — lead time (industry benchmark) | 90–100 days |
| China — supply chain | Full vertical chain: fabric knitted, dyed and finished in-country, cut-and-sew in the same corridor |
| Bangladesh — MOQ (industry benchmark) | 5,000–10,000 pcs |
| Bangladesh — lead time (industry benchmark) | 120–150 days |
| Bangladesh — supply chain | Largely import-dependent for fabric |
| Vietnam — MOQ (industry benchmark) | 2,000–5,000 pcs |
| Vietnam — lead time (industry benchmark) | 90–120 days |
| Vietnam — supply chain | Growing textile base, partly import-dependent |
| Unitex standard terms | MOQ 2,000 pcs per style and colour (kids' and sport bras 3,600 pcs); sampling 7–10 days (12–18 for full development); bulk 45–60 days new / 30–40 days repeat; FOB Xiamen; quotations valid 30 days |
| Tariffs and duty | Vary by destination market and change over time; confirm with your customs broker |
Buyer checklist
- Send the same brief to each destination before comparing, and price it at the same quantity.
- State the trade term on every quotation you compare; FOB and a delivered price are not the same measurement.
- Ask where the fabric is knitted and dyed, not only where the garment is cut and sewn.
- Ask the sampling route and its lead time, because a development sample and a stock-fabric counter sample are different clocks.
- Check the MOQ basis: per style, per colour or as a total, and whether small runs are quoted at all.
- Confirm the tariff and duty position for your destination market with a customs broker rather than from a supplier page.
- Ask what happens to the delivery date in the destination's peak season, which is where a single-plant and a multi-factory model behave differently.
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.)
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — OEM/ODM underwear sourcing and supply-chain partner in Xiamen, China; in the trade since 2009, incorporated in 2013. Based in the Xiamen–Quanzhou–Jinjiang knitwear cluster, Fujian Province, south-east China.