Cotton Fabric Sourcing in China
Cotton is the workhorse of apparel programmes, and the difference between two mills is rarely the yarn — it is the finishing, the shade consistency and whether they can hold a delivery date. We source cotton and cotton-blend fabrics for shirting, dresses, workwear and home textile, and we handle the lab dips, the inline checks and the shipping.
ShirtingDressesWorkwearHome textile
Typical specifications
Ranges, not promises. Every order is quoted against the mill's actual capability — we confirm weight, width and MOQ before you commit.
| Composition | 100% cotton, cotton/spandex, cotton/nylon, cotton/linen |
|---|---|
| Weight | 90–320 gsm (typical range) |
| Width | 145–160 cm |
| Construction | Poplin, twill, voile, canvas, single jersey |
| MOQ | 300–1,000 m per color, depending on mill |
| Lead time | 20–35 days after lab dip approval |
Finishing we can arrange
- · Enzyme wash
- · Mercerizing
- · Peach finish
- · Water repellent
What we check before loading
- · Weight and width against the approved spec
- · Shade against the approved lab dip, per lot
- · 4-point inspection and defect photos
- · Shipping marks, packing list and export documents
Related reading
- Knit vs woven: what changes for your product
- Linen vs cotton: which one for your summer range
- Combed vs carded cotton: what you actually pay for
- Fabric MOQ: why it exists and how to work with it
- How to request fabric samples
- The 4-point fabric inspection system
- What a lab dip is and why it takes a week
- How to verify a Chinese fabric supplier
- Shipping fabric from China: courier, air, LCL or FCL
- Incoterms for fabric buyers: FOB, CIF, DDP
- Common fabric defects and which ones you can live with
- AQL sampling for fabric: how many rolls to inspect
- OEKO-TEX, GRS, GOTS: which certificate do you need
- Fabric width and why it changes your cost per garment
- Cotton count explained: 20s, 30s, 40s and 60s
- Reactive vs pigment dye: colour, fastness and cost
- Mercerized cotton: what the treatment actually does
- Pilling: why it happens and how to test for it
- Fabric shrinkage: what causes it and how to control it
- The four Chinese fabric markets that matter
- How to compare fabric quotes properly
- Fabric printing methods: screen, rotary, digital and sublimation
- Colour fastness: the four tests that matter and what the numbers mean
- How to read a fabric inspection report
- OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100: what it certifies and what it does not
- What actually makes up the price of a metre of fabric
- From enquiry to bulk: the real timeline of a fabric order
- Poplin vs oxford: which shirting fabric to use
- Jersey vs interlock: choosing a knit structure
- GRS certification: what it proves and how to check it
- GOTS and organic cotton: what the label really means
- EU REACH for textiles: what importers are responsible for
- US CPSIA for children’s apparel: the tests you cannot skip
- Care and fibre labels: what each market requires
- Twill vs plain weave: strength, drape and print
- Fabric finishing: what each finish does to the hand and the price
- Fabric tolerances: how much variation is normal
- How fabric agent fees work and what is fair
- Payment terms for fabric orders: T/T, L/C and escrow
- When bulk fabric fails: how to raise a quality claim
- Private label versus stock fabric: the real trade-offs
- How to negotiate a fabric price without breaking the mill
- The fabric sourcing calendar: when to order for each season
- How to choose fabric weight (GSM) for your product
- Fabric glossary