Proving where the cotton came from
US enforcement does not accept a declaration from the factory that shipped the goods. It asks for production records traced back to the raw material, at every tier — because cotton from different origins can be blended at any stage between farm and garment. An Egyptian programme is documentable end to end, and we obtain documentation back through the spinner and the gin, which is what a forced-labour enquiry actually asks for — not a declaration from the factory that shipped the goods.
The six tiers, and who can evidence them
| Tier | What it proves |
|---|---|
| Farm | Where the cotton was grown. |
| Gin | Where seed cotton became lint. We obtain gin documentation. |
| Spinner | Where lint became yarn. This is the tier most suppliers cannot evidence — we can. |
| Weaver / knitter | Where yarn became fabric. In Egypt for every programme we run. |
| Dyehouse & finishing | Where the fabric was processed. |
| Cut & sew | The factory that made the garment. The only tier most suppliers can show. |
What ships with every consignment
Document pack
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Certificate of origin
- EUR.1 movement certificate for EU shipments
- QIZ documentation for US shipments
- Pre-shipment inspection report
- Fabric and trim purchase records
- Spinner and gin documentation for fibre-origin enquiries
Why an agent is useful here
Chain documentation is administrative work across several companies — the gin, the spinner, the mill and the factory are rarely the same business. Assembling it is precisely the job we do, and it is why we exist in the transaction.
How we work →An honest limit. Where a mill uses imported yarn, the fibre origin is the imported yarn's origin, not Egypt's. We establish yarn origin before we place an order, and we tell you what it is. A supplier who promises a clean chain without naming the spinner has not checked.
Isotope testing
US Customs has published guidance accepting isotope testing as one form of evidence of where cotton was grown. It checks the fibre itself, so it complements the document chain rather than replacing it. If your compliance programme requires testing, tell us at quotation so it is planned into the order.
This page describes documentation we provide. It is not legal advice, and enforcement lists and expectations change — review your own obligations with counsel or a customs specialist.