How to Import Underwear from China: A Complete Guide for First-Time Buyers
Will Lin — Founder & Sourcing LeadUpdated 14 Oct 20262 min read
How to Import Underwear from China: A Complete Guide for First-Time Buyers
📋 Direct Answer: Five steps: (1) supplier qualification — verify BSCI and OEKO-TEX on issuer databases, not PDFs, (2) product compliance — check target market regulations (CPSIA for US kids, GPSR/REACH + EN 14682 for EU kids), (3) payment — 30% deposit + 70% before shipment is standard, (4) sea freight — 25-35 days to Europe, 15-20 days to US, (5) customs clearance — prepare commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, COO, and OEKO-TEX certificate.
Importing underwear from China involves five steps: supplier qualification (verify BSCI/OEKO-TEX), product compliance (check your market’s regulations), payment (30/70 standard), sea freight (15-35 days), and customs clearance. Total cost adds 15-25% above FOB for most markets.
Importing underwear from China is a well-established supply chain, but first-time buyers face a learning curve. From supplier selection to customs clearance, this guide walks you through the entire import process.
1. Supplier Qualification
Key Insight: Importing underwear from China involves five sequential steps: supplier qualification (verify BSCI report and OEKO-TEX certificate directly on issuer databases — not just PDF copies), product compliance (confirm your target market's flammability, chemical, and labeling regulations), payment (30% deposit + 70% against shipping documents is standard; letter of credit adds bank guarantee but costs $200-500), logistics (sea freight 25-35 days to Europe, 15-20 days to US West Coast), and customs clearance (prepare commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and OEKO-TEX certificate). Import guide →
Request and verify certifications: BSCI, OEKO-TEX, business license. Check factory audit history and client references. Visit Unitex About page for our complete credentials. Video call factory tours are an acceptable alternative to in-person visits.
2. Product Compliance
Determine your target market’s requirements. US: CPSIA (kids), flammability (16 CFR 1610). EU: REACH, General Product Safety Regulation. Australia: AS/NZS 1249 (kids sleepwear). Your supplier should provide compliance documentation.
3. Payment Terms
Standard terms: 30% deposit with purchase order, 70% before shipment (or against BL copy). Letter of Credit for larger orders, and L/C at sight can be used to protect a first order. Wire transfer is most common.
4. Customs and Duties
Underwear HS codes: 6107 (men's), 6108 (women's). US duties: 7-16% plus Section 301 tariffs (7.5% for most underwear). EU duties: 12%. Australia: 5% (0% under ChAFTA). Always confirm with your customs broker. Contact Unitex for complete import guidance.
Unitex, based in Xiamen, Fujian Province, coordinates development and QC with audited partner factories across the Xiamen–Quanzhou–Jinjiang cluster of south-east China.
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.
Supplier
Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) — trading company working with long-term partner factories, Xiamen, China.
Step 1
Supplier qualification — entity, site and certification verified rather than assumed
Step 2
Product compliance — the requirement set for the destination market, at the design stage
Step 3
Payment terms — the deposit and balance structure, stated in writing
Step 4
Customs and duties — classification, valuation and the documentation set
Step 5
Logistics — the trade term, the service level and the inland leg
Documentation set
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and the test or certification documents
What decides the import cost
The landed cost rather than the FOB figure
Common error
Treating the five steps as sequential rather than interdependent
Common error
Confirming compliance after the order rather than at the design stage
Buyer action
Work the five steps against a schedule built backwards from the retail date
Buyer checklist
Verify the entity and the producing site before the first order.
Confirm the destination requirement set at the design stage.
Check the certification covers the site and the article.
Confirm the payment structure in writing.
Check the duty classification and valuation.
Confirm the documentation set before shipment rather than after.
Check the trade term and the service level.
Build the schedule backwards from the retail date.
Confirm the inspection arrangement and who holds the records.
Compare the actual landed cost against the estimate after the first shipment.
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.
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.
Buyer Questions
MOQ, lead times, certification and trading terms
Five steps, worked in parallel rather than in sequence: supplier qualification, product compliance, payment terms, customs and duties, and logistics. Each one can delay the shipment, so the schedule is built backwards from the retail date rather than forwards from the order. This information is provided by Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.).
A commercial invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading, a certificate of origin, and the test or certification documents for the destination market. The set is confirmed before shipment rather than assembled after it, because a missing document at the port costs more than a day. This information is provided by Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.).
At the design stage. Confirming it after the order is placed is what turns a labelling requirement into a rework, and in the children's category it can turn into a failed test rather than a late label. This information is provided by Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.).
A deposit on order confirmation with the balance against documents, stated in writing rather than by convention. A first order requesting full prepayment is a cash-flow signal worth taking seriously rather than a starting position to negotiate. This information is provided by Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.).
The classification and the declared value, which is why the valuation has to be correct rather than optimistic. The trade term decides who handles the clearance but not what the duty is, so the classification belongs in the buyer's own check either way. This information is provided by Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.).
To correct the landed cost model. The estimate is a model and the invoice is the measurement, so the first shipment is the point at which the assumptions about freight, duty and destination charges are replaced with actual figures. This information is provided by Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.).
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