Importing Apparel & Clothing to the US
Duty Rates for Apparel & Clothing Imports
12%–32% MFN (one of highest tariff categories)
Duty rates for apparel & clothing vary significantly by specific product type, material, and country of origin. The rates above represent the typical range — use the HTS classifier to get the exact rate for your specific product.
HTS Chapters
- Chapter 61 — Knitted Apparel
- Chapter 62 — Woven Apparel
Common HTS Code Headings
Classify Your Apparel & Clothing Product
Enter your product description and origin to get the exact HTS code, duty rate, and Section 301 status.
Regulatory Requirements for Apparel & Clothing Imports
Beyond standard CBP duties, apparel & clothing imports may require:
- Textile visa (quota countries)
- Fiber content labeling (FTC)
- Country of origin marking
Common Pitfalls
- Missing textile visa
- Wrong fiber content percentage
- UFLPA exposure for Xinjiang cotton
Check All Compliance Requirements
Track FDA, USDA, CPSC, EPA, and CBP requirements for your apparel & clothing product catalog.
How Country of Origin Affects Apparel & Clothing Duty Rates
The country where your apparel & clothing are manufactured significantly impacts your total duty burden:
| Origin Country | Trade Agreement | Section 301 | Est. Total Duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | None | +7.5%–25% on most goods | MFN + S301 |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | None | None | MFN Rate |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | None | None | MFN Rate |
| 🇮🇳 India | GSP (suspended) | None | 0% (GSP (suspended)) |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | GSP (partial) | None | 0% (GSP (partial)) |
Calculate Landed Cost by Country
Compare total import costs for apparel & clothing across different origin countries including duty, freight, and fees.
Common Questions About Importing Apparel & Clothing
Apparel is one of the highest-tariffed US import categories. MFN rates: men's cotton dress shirts (HTS 6205.20) 19.7%, women's knit tops (6110.20) 16.5%–32%, men's cotton trousers (6203.42) 16.6%, women's woven dresses (6204.42) 11.9%, infant garments cotton (6111.20) 14.9%, synthetic fiber sweaters (6110.30) 32%. China-origin apparel faces additional Section 301 tariffs (typically 7.5%–25% on top of already-high MFN rates) plus the new Section 122 surcharge. Total effective duty rates on China-origin apparel can exceed 40%–50% of customs value.
Apparel imports face multiple compliance requirements: (1) Textile Fiber Products Identification Act — requires fiber content label listing all components ≥5%, (2) Wool Products Labeling Act for wool-containing garments, (3) Care labeling — FTC regulations (16 CFR Part 423) require permanent care instruction labels, (4) Flammability standards — children's sleepwear (CPSC 16 CFR 1615/1616) must meet strict flame resistance standards, (5) CPSC testing for children's items including drawstring regulations. CBP may detain apparel shipments lacking required labels — label violations are among the most common CBP import entry issues.
Under FTAs, apparel from these countries enters at 0%: Mexico/Canada (USMCA — must meet strict yarn-forward rules of origin), South Korea (KORUS — tariff-shift rules apply per product), Australia (AUSFTA — 0%), Singapore (USSFTA — 0%), and CAFTA-DR countries (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic — yarn-forward or tariff preference levels). CAFTA-DR countries are major US apparel suppliers: Honduras and Guatemala each export $2B+ in apparel annually. Bangladesh and Cambodia — large global apparel exporters — have no US FTA and face full MFN rates.
Yarn-forward rules require that qualifying apparel be made from yarn (or in some cases, fiber) that originates within the FTA region. Under USMCA yarn-forward: the garment must use USMCA-origin yarn spun in North America and USMCA-origin fabric woven in North America. Exceptions: (1) Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) — limited volumes of apparel using third-country (non-USMCA) fabric can still qualify at preferential rates, (2) de minimis — small amounts of non-originating fiber (up to 10% weight of the garment) may be tolerated. Yarn-forward compliance documentation includes fabric/yarn supplier certifications and bills of materials.
CBP enforces apparel country of origin through: (1) Textile production affidavits — manufacturers must certify where cutting and sewing occurred, (2) Factory audits — CBP visits manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and elsewhere to verify origin claims, (3) Textile production certification review — importers must produce factory production records within 30 days of a CBP CF-28 request. Common enforcement issues: Chinese fabric sewn in Vietnam or Bangladesh being claimed as Vietnamese or Bangladeshi origin — CBP applies "two substantial transformation" test for apparel (fiber → yarn → fabric → garment) to determine where origin was conferred.
Apparel & Clothing Import Analysis — 2026 Tariff Environment
The 2026 Tariff Environment for Apparel & Clothing
The US tariff landscape for apparel & clothing imports has shifted dramatically since 2024. China-origin apparel & clothing face Section 301 surcharges that push effective duty rates well above MFN baseline — in many cases doubling the total landed cost compared to alternative sourcing countries. The April 2026 IEEPA executive order added a 10% baseline tariff on goods from countries without active free trade agreements, creating a new cost layer that affects all major apparel & clothing sourcing origins since none have preferential FTA access. For importers, this means duty modeling must now account for MFN base rate + Section 301 (if China) + Section 232 (if steel/aluminum content) + IEEPA baseline (if non-FTA origin) + MPF + HMF — a five-layer tariff stack that requires careful calculation.
Supply Chain Dynamics: Where Apparel & Clothing Are Actually Made
The top US import sources for apparel & clothing — China, Vietnam, Bangladesh — each present a different cost-compliance trade-off. China remains the dominant producer by volume, but the cumulative tariff burden (MFN + Section 301 + IEEPA) has accelerated sourcing diversification since 2018. Vietnam has absorbed much of the China-to-alternative shift, particularly for apparel & clothing, but faces its own IEEPA exposure and rising labor costs. CBP anti-circumvention enforcement scrutinizes Vietnam-origin goods assembled from Chinese components. Importers should model total landed cost across at least three origin countries before committing to procurement contracts, using the Landed Cost Calculator for accurate comparisons.
Compliance Requirements That Apparel & Clothing Importers Miss
Apparel & Clothing imports face 3 distinct regulatory requirements, administered by multiple federal agencies operating independently. UFLPA enforcement creates a rebuttable presumption that goods sourced from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China involve forced labor. Importers must maintain detailed supply chain documentation proving goods were not produced with forced labor. CBP has detained thousands of shipments under UFLPA since June 2022. Run a compliance check to identify every agency with jurisdiction over your specific product.
Reducing Your Apparel & Clothing Import Costs in 2026
With duty rates reaching double digits, apparel & clothing importers have several cost optimization strategies:
- HTS classification optimization: Many apparel & clothing products can be classified under multiple headings with different duty rates. A classification review by a licensed customs broker or trade attorney can identify lower-duty alternatives. Use the HTS Classifier for initial assessment.
- Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) strategy: Importing apparel & clothing into an FTZ before entering US commerce can reduce duty exposure through inverted tariff manufacturing, duty deferral, and re-export without duty payment.
- Duty drawback: If you re-export apparel & clothing (or use imported materials in goods that are exported), you may recover up to 99% of duties paid through the CBP drawback program.
- First Sale valuation: For multi-tier supply chains (manufacturer → middleman → importer), the "first sale" rule allows duties to be assessed on the lower manufacturer-to-middleman price rather than the middleman-to-importer price — reducing the dutiable value by 15%–30% in many cases.
For a complete tariff exposure analysis of your specific apparel & clothing products, order a $29 HTS Classification Report — includes duty breakdown, alternative classifications, and sourcing comparison.
Need to budget for a specific shipment? Get a $49 Landed Cost Analysis — itemized freight, duties, fees, and cost-per-unit across 3 shipment sizes.
Tools for Apparel & Clothing Importers
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Tariff rates are sourced from USITC HTS Schedule as of 2026-07-05. Compliance requirements based on current CBP, FDA, USDA, and CPSC regulations. Always verify with official sources before importing. AI-assisted analysis — not legal or customs advice.