Why moving out of China didn't take China out of your cotton supply chain
Most brands leaving China moved to other Asian countries that still buy a large share of their textile inputs from China. Under the UFLPA, US Customs looks at where the cotton was grown, not where the garment was sewn. The answer is a supply chain you can document back to the spinner and the gin.
| Document | What it proves |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice and packing list | What was shipped, and by whom |
| Certificate of origin | Where the garment was made |
| Fabric and trim purchase records | Which mill made the fabric |
| Spinner and gin documents | Where the fibre came from |
| Pre-shipment inspection report | What left the factory matched the order |
| Isotope test (optional) | An independent check on where the cotton grew |
Where sourcing actually moved
In Kearney's 2025 reshoring survey, about 75% of respondents said they had moved sourcing out of China. Most of it went to Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia and India. Those countries still import around 20–30% of their textile inputs from China. The tariff exposure moved; the fibre exposure often didn't.
What US Customs checks
Cotton apparel is a priority commodity under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. When a shipment is held, the importer has to show where the cotton came from. More than 8,000 shipments were detained in 2025. CBP has published guidance on isotope testing as one form of evidence. In August 2026, China added six US tracing and testing providers to a countermeasure list, which makes China-linked supply chains harder to document.
Why a short supply chain is easier to prove
Every country and every handoff adds a document you have to chase. In Egypt, cotton can be spun, woven or knitted, and sewn in one country. Egyptian denim mills weave from yarn and finish in the same group. Fewer handoffs means a shorter, more complete file.
Start with one style
Adding a country doesn't have to take a year. Run one style as a pilot: the producing factory's current audit report, an AQL pre-shipment inspection and the full origin file, reviewed by your compliance team before you commit to volume. Our capacity is 1,000 pieces per month per category, so we plan programmes ahead instead of overbooking.
Questions to ask any new supplier
- Can you trace this lot to the spinner and the gin?
- Which inputs are imported, and from where?
- Can we see the producing factory's current social audit?
- Will you accept third-party inspection and isotope testing?
- What is your real available capacity per month for my category?
Questions
Does Egyptian clothing contain Chinese inputs?
It can. Some trims and yarns are imported. That's why we document each order's inputs instead of claiming a whole country is China-free.
Is isotope testing required?
No. CBP accepts it as one form of evidence, alongside supply chain documents.
Whose audit reports do you supply?
The current reports of the specific factory running your order. Audits belong to the factory that was audited.
How much can you produce?
1,000 pieces per month per category, 6,000 across all six categories. Orders typically run 2,000–10,000 pieces.