Logistics
What US and EU apparel buyers should put in a manufacturing brief
A practical checklist for American and European clothing importers: fiber and care copy, packing, destination, and the questions a manufacturer can actually answer.
Urban Stitch Wear editorial · Published 20 September 2026 · Updated 20 September 2026
Start with destination, not a factory pitch
A hoodie that is easy to sew can still be hard to import. US and EU buyers should put the destination country in the first message, along with whether goods need to land at a port, an airport, or a warehouse door. Urban Stitch Wear does not assume EXW, FOB, or DDP.
Duties, VAT, and broker processes belong to the importer’s side unless a written commercial term says otherwise. We will not publish duty rates here. They depend on classification, origin, and current rules.
Label copy is part of the product
Private-label programs for the United States usually need fiber content, care instructions, and a country-of-origin statement that matches what you will declare. European programs usually need fiber composition and care information that can sit on a sewn-in label or a legally accepted equivalent, often with language for the markets you sell.
Urban Stitch Wear can discuss neck labels, size labels, and care labels as configurable trims. We do not write your legal copy for you, and we do not list certificates we cannot share. If you already have approved label text, attach it.
Packing that survives a retailer or a 3PL
US wholesale accounts and EU retailers often specify polybag marks, carton size, and how size runs are packed. A 3PL in California and a warehouse in the Netherlands will not accept the same silent carton. Write those rules in the brief, even if they feel administrative.
Hangtags, stickers, and branded tissue can be requested. Methods and suppliers for those extras are confirmed per program, the same way print methods are confirmed.
Traceability questions without brochure answers
EU buyers may ask about recycled content, chemical restrictions, or a digital product passport. US buyers may ask for mill names or test reports for a retailer onboarding pack. Those are fair questions. The honest reply is what documents can be obtained for that fabric and that order, not a website badge.
If a document cannot be provided, it is better to know that before sampling. Urban Stitch Wear will not invent GOTS, OEKO-TEX, or factory-audit numbers on a product page.
The one-page brief we can work from
Company and contact, destination country, Incoterm you want to discuss, garment list with gender and fit, fabric notes, colors, quantity by size, decoration, label files, packing rules, and any sample you already approved. That is enough to start a real manufacturing conversation.
Send it through the quote form or WhatsApp. A complete US or EU brief is faster than a long email chain that never names the destination.
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Have a specification ready?
Send the garment type, quantity, destination, and any tech pack or artwork. A form submission is a manufacturing inquiry, not an order.
Request a manufacturing quote