Contract Sewing in China
Despite recent wage increases earned by China factory workers, and the rise of the Yuan versus the Dollar, China remains the best choice for custom sewn goods manufacturing. Over the years I’ve done business with factories in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, but all things considered I find the China sewing factories to be the most reliable and the easiest to do business with. China sewing factories and China sewing contractors understand how to do business with the West…the infrastructure is excellent and they have local access to virtually any type of raw materials and accessory items. We routinely outsource custom sewn goods such as handbags, flags, gloves, lingerie, medical and fashion accessories, sporting goods, custom industrial sewing, uniforms and many other contract sewing projects.
The key to outsourcing any sewing job in China is to identify a reputable China sewing factory and to have “feet on the factory floor” to ensure things run as smoothly as possible. Those things are easier said than done if you have no experience or presence in China. That’s where a sourcing agent can be a very valuable tool and can help you level the playing field. The advantages of working with an Asian outsourcing agency are numerous:
- Experience: An Asian sourcing agent already knows which factories are reputable for each type of custom sewing project. There’s no guesswork here…there’s a history and personal relationships.
- Better Pricing: because we source custom sewn projects for dozens and dozens of North American companies, we have much more leverage and buying power than any one company would have going at it alone. Another key point is that we have local Chinese citizens handling the price negotiations and daily communications. A local person will always get a better price than a Westerner could from afar.
- Cost: traveling to visit and monitor China and other Asian sewing factories is not cheap…it’s not fun and it’s not easy. O’Kane Global Sourcing has a full time staff in Hong Kong to represent your interests.
- Trust: you will sometimes hear horror stories about a factory making perfect samples but the actual production run goods look nothing like the samples you approved. It happens all the time to companies/people who are not working with the right China sewing contractor and who does not have a presence in country. A good Asian sourcing agent will not only negotiate a fair price, they will also monitor quality control throughout the process and inspect the goods BEFORE they are shipped.
- Ease of doing business: our sewing outsourcing clients only need to speak with our US based staff. We handle all communications between the factory on your behalf, but yet keep you in the loop throughout the process. In addition to working with the China sewing factory, we will also handle all ocean freight logistics, tariff classifications, customs clearances and cargo insurance right to your door.
- Time: who knows how long it will take you to find a reputable China sewing contractor…maybe never! And the cost can be significant as well. With an Asian sourcing agent such as O’Kane Global Sourcing, you will have a landed cost to your door quoted usually within a two week period.
- More Cost Saving: by using an Asian outsourcing agent there’s no need to hire/train someone in-house to perform these tasks.
If you are contemplating testing the Asian sourcing waters, I would suggest you give us a call to discuss our needs. We can generally give a “no or go” after a brief phone conversation. You can reach me directly at 603.531.0103 or at bok@okanesourcing.com