Shipping clothing and apparel from China to the US: duty rates, labeling, and customs rules

Duty rates on clothing from China

Clothing carries high US tariffs for a combination of reasons: the base duty rates on textiles and apparel are among the highest in the US tariff schedule (often 12 to 32%), and Section 301 tariffs add further surcharges on top.

Approximate combined duty rates for Chinese clothing (post-November 2025 truce):

• Woven cotton shirts and blouses (men's/women's): 19 to 32% combined.
• Knit cotton T-shirts and casual tops: 16 to 25% combined.
• Trousers and pants (cotton): 16 to 27% combined.
• Synthetic fiber outerwear and jackets: 27 to 32% combined.
• Swimwear: 24 to 28% combined.
• Footwear: 7.5 to 37.5% depending on material and construction; leather footwear can reach higher rates.
• Socks and hosiery: 14 to 20% combined.
• Accessories (hats, belts, bags): varies widely by material; 10 to 30% range.

These are approximate ranges. The exact rate depends on the 10-digit HTS code for your specific product -- fiber content, construction method (woven vs. knit), and gender designation all affect the classification. A small change in product description can shift the duty rate meaningfully. Verify your HTS code at hts.usitc.gov before confirming your landed cost.

The landed cost formula for clothing: factory price + freight + combined duty rate (applied to the declared customs value) + customs broker fee + US delivery. Unlike categories with low duty rates, clothing duties can represent 20 to 40% of the factory price -- this needs to be in your margin calculation before sourcing, not after importing.

Required labels for clothing imported to the US

Three federal agencies govern labeling of clothing sold in the US. All three requirements must be met before your goods can be legally sold, and CBP checks for some of them at entry.

1. Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (FTC rule): every garment must have a label disclosing the fiber content by percentage (e.g., '100% cotton' or '60% cotton, 40% polyester'). The label must be in English, permanently attached, and clearly legible. Generic terms ('blend', 'material') are not sufficient.

2. Country of origin marking (US Customs): all textile products entering the US must be legibly, permanently marked with the country of origin in English (e.g., 'Made in China'). The mark must appear on the garment itself, not just on outer packaging. Failure to mark results in CBP requiring re-marking before release -- at the importer's cost.

3. Care instruction label (FTC Care Labeling Rule): garments must carry a permanent label with instructions for washing, drying, ironing, bleaching, and dry cleaning. Symbols (ASTM D5489 standard) or text instructions are both acceptable. The label must be readable for the reasonable useful life of the garment.

All three labels must be:

• Permanently attached (sewn in, not removable).
• In English.
• Legible and durable for the life of the garment.
• Present on every individual garment, not just on outer packaging.

Work with your supplier to get labels sewn in during production. Retrofitting labels after goods arrive in the US is expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes impossible without re-opening sealed packaging.

Children's clothing: additional CPSC requirements

Children's clothing (generally defined as items sized for children 12 years old and under) carries additional requirements from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

• Drawstring prohibition: upper outerwear for children (hoodies, jackets, coats) cannot have drawstrings in the hood or neck area. Waist and bottom drawstrings are permitted under specific length constraints.
• Flammability requirements: children's sleepwear in sizes 0-14 must meet flammability standards under the CPSC Flammable Fabrics Act. Snug-fitting sleepwear or sleepwear treated with flame retardant are the two compliant paths.
• CPSC eFiling: from July 8, 2026, importers of regulated children's products (including children's clothing that falls under CPSC jurisdiction) must file a Children's Product Certificate (CPC) electronically with CBP at entry.
• Lead and phthalate limits: children's products must meet limits on lead content and phthalates. Testing by a CPSC-accredited third-party lab is required.

If you are importing children's clothing, request CPSC-compliant test reports from your supplier before ordering. Testing should be done by a CPSC-accredited lab, not by the supplier's internal quality team.

How to calculate landed cost for clothing from China

Example for a $10/unit woven cotton shirt, 200-unit order (2 kg/unit, 400 kg total):

• Factory cost: $10 x 200 = $2,000.
• Air freight (400 kg at roughly $5-8/kg DDP, depending on route and season): approx. $2,000-3,200.
• Import duties: 25% combined rate on $2,000 = $500.
• Total landed: approx. $4,500-5,700 for 200 units = $22.50-28.50 per unit.

The duty component alone adds $2.50 to a $10 shirt. For a seller pricing at $35 retail, a 25% landed cost increase can erase the margin. This is why getting the duty rate right before sourcing -- not after importing -- matters for apparel more than most categories.

Request DDP pricing for your apparel shipments. DDP includes freight, customs duties, and delivery in one number, so your landed cost is fixed at booking with no surprise duty invoices at the US end.

What to confirm with your supplier before production

For clothing imports, these items must be confirmed before production completes -- not just before shipment:

• All labels sewn in: fiber content, country of origin, care instructions -- all permanently attached to every garment.
• Fiber content accuracy: if the label says '100% cotton,' the fabric must be 100% cotton. FTC enforcement for false fiber content labeling can result in fines.
• Drawstring compliance for children's items: upper outerwear has a full drawstring prohibition at the hood/neck.
• CPSC test reports for children's clothing: request the test report from a CPSC-accredited lab before shipment.
• Commercial invoice accuracy: the invoice description must match the actual goods -- specify fiber content, gender, garment type, and unit value per SKU.

If your supplier is producing private-label clothing for the first time, ask for a sample garment to verify label placement before starting the full run. Fixing a missing label on 500 pieces in a Chinese warehouse is far cheaper than re-labeling after US customs clearance.