The UAE is the Gulf’s commercial hub and, for many importers, the gateway to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar as well as a growing domestic retail market in its own right. The two requirements that catch suppliers out are the bilingual label and the conformity scheme, and both are decided before the goods ship. Unitex Underwear (Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd.) is a China-based underwear supplier working through long-term BSCI-audited partner factories in the Fujian knitwear corridor — men’s, women’s and kids’ knitted underwear, MOQ 2,000 pcs per style and colour, FOB Xiamen.
The Bilingual Label: Arabic and English, Sewn In
UAE labelling for textiles requires the label to be in Arabic, or in both Arabic and English together. An English-only label is not accepted. The label is expected to carry the fibre composition with percentages, the country of origin, care instructions using recognised symbols, the size, and the name and address of the manufacturer or the UAE importer. Labels must be legible and durably attached, and for textiles and clothing the requirement is a sewn-in label — an adhesive sticker is not accepted.
Labelling is one of the most common causes of rejection at UAE ports, and the practical answer is to design the bilingual label during typesetting rather than after the fact. That means the Arabic text has to be set properly, not machine-transliterated, and the layout has to fit both scripts legibly on the same label. We produce bilingual label variants at production using artwork you approve, and we will flag any element that looks like it will not print legibly at the size the label allows.
For importers selling into Saudi Arabia as well, note that the Saudi market has its own additional requirements and a separate conformity platform, so a UAE-compliant label is not automatically a Saudi-compliant one. If your programme covers both, tell us at the brief stage and we will build the label for the stricter of the two, or produce two variants if the requirements genuinely diverge.
Conformity: ECAS, EQM and the Gulf Standard
Textile imports into the UAE are subject to the Gulf technical regulation for textiles, and conformity is demonstrated through the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme. In practice this means a product-level certificate of conformity supported by test reports, issued through a body authorised by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. The scheme covers safety and quality parameters including colour fastness, flammability and the absence of harmful substances such as azo dyes and formaldehyde.
The substance limits matter for underwear specifically because it is a skin-contact article. Formaldehyde limits for adult garments are in the region of seventy-five parts per million, with a much lower limit for articles for infants and young children; azo dyes releasing the listed aromatic amines are prohibited; and pH is specified for products in direct contact with skin. Heavy metals are restricted as well. Children’s clothing carries stricter requirements, and infant garments are often asked to be supported by an OEKO-TEX test report in practice.
We provide the technical information, fabric composition details and test-relevant specifications your conformity body needs, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification for the materials on your order is a useful supporting document. What we do not do is hold the certificate of conformity — that has to be issued to an entity in the UAE against your import, and it is normally your importer or your nominated representative who applies. Start that process well before the cargo ships, because it is not a port-side fix.
Jebel Ali, Clearance and the Cost Structure
Xiamen to the Gulf has no direct passenger flight to Dubai, but air cargo connections are frequent through Guangzhou, Hong Kong or the Gulf carriers, with door-to-door air freight of about three to six days. Sea freight into Jebel Ali, the region’s largest container port, runs typically twenty to thirty days port to port from Chinese origins depending on the service, and Jebel Ali clearance is efficient — commonly two to three working days where documentation is complete, plus inspection time if the shipment is selected.
On cost, most textiles and garments attract the five percent GCC common customs tariff on the CIF value, and VAT is applied on the duty-inclusive value. Because there is no free trade agreement in force between China and the GCC, the tariff preference is not currently available on Chinese-origin goods, so the calculation is straightforward: five percent duty, then VAT on the total. Some categories attract anti-dumping measures, so confirm your commodity code rather than assuming.
The UAE’s free zones are a separate consideration. Goods held in a free zone are outside the domestic customs territory until they are released into it, which can suit a re-export or regional-distribution model. If your structure uses a free zone, be clear with us which zone and which release route, because the documentation accompanying the export differs from a straight import into the mainland.
What We Do, and What We Do Not Do
Unitex is a sourcing and supply-chain management company working with long-term partner factories in the Fujian knitwear corridor. We handle development, fabric and trim sourcing, order placement, production follow-up, AQL 2.5 inline and final inspection, export documentation, and the bilingual Arabic-English label at production. We do not own factories. Our compliance evidence is amfori BSCI audits at the partner sites and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification for the materials on your order, with certificate numbers shared at quotation.
We do not issue the UAE certificate of conformity, do not act as your importer of record, and do not register you for VAT in the UAE. Those sit with your own UAE entity or your nominated representative and your conformity body. Goods ship from Xiamen Port on FOB terms, or CIF, CNF or DDP if you prefer.
Sourcing Specifications at a Glance
| Company | Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. (厦门甲冠麒贸易有限公司) — sourcing and supply-chain management company, incorporated 2013; in the underwear trade since 2009 |
|---|---|
| Location | Xiamen, Fujian Province, China — Jimei District, Xinglinwan Business Operation Center |
| Production base | Long-term partner factories across the Xiamen–Quanzhou–Jinjiang knitwear corridor; our own liaison office inside the Jinjiang factory district since 2013 |
| Categories | Men’s / women’s / kids’ knitted underwear, plus size to 5XL, thermal and baselayers, pajamas and sleepwear, sport bras |
| MOQ | 2,000 pcs per style and colour (trial orders from 1,000 pcs on selected styles) |
| Sampling | 7–10 days for counter samples; 12–18 days for fully custom development |
| Bulk lead | 45–60 days after pre-production sample approval |
| Compliance | BSCI-audited partner factories; OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified materials; certificate numbers for the production sites on your order shared at quotation |
| QC | AQL 2.5 inline and final inspection on every order; shrinkage and spirality tested before bulk cutting; third-party inspection (SGS, Intertek, TÜV) welcome |
| Port & terms | Xiamen Port — FOB Xiamen standard (EXW Xiamen for Russia/CIS); CIF, CNF or DDP on request |
| Payment | 30% T/T deposit, 70% against copy of B/L; L/C at sight for larger programmes |
How to Start a Programme for the UAE
- Send your design brief, spec sheet or reference sample — we review and respond within 48 hours
- Receive fabric swatches, waistband options and a quotation within 3–5 business days
- Approve counter samples (7–10 days) or full custom development samples (12–18 days)
- Pre-production sample locks the measurement chart, then bulk runs 45–60 days with AQL 2.5 inline and final inspection
- Shipment from Xiamen Port on your chosen term, with export documentation handled by our team
Contact us for a free quotation →
Prefer a third-party reference before you write? Our company profile and product showroom are public on Made-in-China.com, and our export shipping records are independently listed on Panjiva. Contact: [email protected] · WhatsApp +86 186 5081 3853.
Other Markets We Cover
This guide is one of a series written for buyers in different markets. The others cover London · Paris · Barcelona · Rome · Frankfurt · Amsterdam · Stockholm · Athens · Moscow · St Petersburg · New York · Santiago de Chile · Lima · Mexico City · Sydney · Melbourne · Italy · the Netherlands · the Nordics · Mexico · Canada — each page sets out what that market’s import rules, duty and shipping routes mean for an underwear programme sourced from China.
If you are still weighing up whether to buy through a sourcing company at all, start with the China underwear supplier hub, which sets out how a sourcing company differs from a single factory and what that changes for your programme. Buyers already based in China — Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Yiwu or Xiamen — are covered by a separate set of city guides linked from the hub.
· 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. |
|---|---|
| Business model | Sourcing and supply-chain management; works with long-term BSCI-audited partner factories; owns no production facilities |
| Trade since | 2009; incorporated as Xiamen Unitex Trade Co., Ltd. in 2013 |
| Location | Xiamen, Fujian Province, China — Jimei District, Xinglinwan Business Operation Center |
| Production base | Partner factories across the Xiamen–Quanzhou–Jinjiang knitwear corridor; liaison office inside the Jinjiang factory district since 2013 |
| Categories | Men's, women's and kids' knitted underwear; plus size to 5XL; thermal and baselayers; pajamas and sleepwear; sport bras |
| MOQ | 2,000 pcs per style and colour |
| Trial order | From 1,000 pcs per style and colour on selected styles |
| Salesman sample | 50 pcs per style and colour, cotton men's adult boxer briefs and briefs, price on request |
| Sampling lead time | 7–10 days counter samples (stock fabric); 12–18 days fully custom development |
| Bulk lead time | 45–60 days after pre-production sample approval |
| Inspection | AQL 2.5 inline and final inspection; SGS, Intertek and TÜV third-party inspection welcome |
| Certifications evidenced at partner sites | amfori BSCI; OEKO-TEX Standard 100 |
| Trade terms | FOB Xiamen standard; EXW Xiamen for Russia/CIS; CIF, CNF or DDP on request |
| Payment | 30% T/T deposit, 70% against copy of B/L; L/C at sight for larger programmes |
| Contact | [email protected] · WhatsApp +86 186 5081 3853 |
Buyer checklist
- Design a bilingual Arabic and English label during typesetting, with properly set Arabic rather than transliteration.
- Confirm whether Saudi Arabia is also in scope, because that market has additional requirements of its own.
- Start the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme process well before the cargo ships, since it is not a port-side fix.
- Check the formaldehyde, azo dye and pH requirements for your fibre and product category, especially on children's lines.
- Confirm your commodity code, since some categories attract anti-dumping measures in addition to the 5% tariff.
- Tell us whether goods are released from a free zone or imported to the mainland, because the documentation differs.
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.