China vs Vietnam vs Bangladesh: Where to Manufacture Knitwear

Choosing where to manufacture your knitwear is one of the highest-leverage decisions a brand makes. China, Vietnam and Bangladesh dominate global apparel exports, but they are not interchangeable for sweaters and cardigans. Knitwear is a craft-heavy category — gauge range, yarn access, linking quality and pattern complexity matter far more than the headline labour rate. This guide compares the three honestly, so you can match the country to your product, volume and quality bar.

The cheapest country on paper is rarely the cheapest per *sellable* unit. For complex or low-MOQ knitwear, a slightly higher FOB with fewer reject rates, faster sampling and better gauge range almost always wins on landed cost.

• China — the deepest knitwear ecosystem: widest gauge range (3GG chunky to 14GG fine), strongest yarn supply, mature sample rooms, best for complex patterns (jacquard, intarsia, cables), lower MOQs and fast development.
• Vietnam — strong, rising mid-market for simpler knit programs and large repeat orders; good for brands already running cut-and-sew there, with tariff advantages into some markets.
• Bangladesh — most competitive on labour cost at high volume for basic sweaters; best fit for very large, simple programs where unit price dominates and lead time is flexible.

Match the country to the product, not the trend. A 12GG fine-gauge merino sweater with a multi-colour jacquard yoke is a different sourcing problem than 50,000 plain 7GG crew necks.

• Complex, fashion-forward, or small-batch? China's gauge range, yarn access and sample-room maturity are hard to beat. Low MOQs let new brands test before scaling.
• Large, simple, price-led basics? Vietnam or Bangladesh can be very competitive once volume justifies the higher MOQ and longer development.
• Tariffs and trade terms matter — check duty rates into your destination market before deciding; they can outweigh small FOB differences. See our North America vs Europe sourcing guide for market-side considerations.

A low FOB quote can hide higher landed cost through reject rates, slow sampling that pushes you past a season, minimums you can't sell through, or rework. Before comparing countries, learn what actually drives a sweater's price in our custom knitwear cost factors guide, and sanity-check any quote against the 2026 knitwear sourcing benchmark report.

Licheng Knitwear is a Dongguan, China based manufacturer focused on men's sweaters, cardigans and knit jackets for B2B brands in North America and Europe. We work across 3GG–14GG, support low starting quantities for development, and handle complex patterns and private-label programs. If you are weighing countries, we are happy to give you an honest read on whether your specific product is a good fit for China — and what realistic MOQ, lead time and FOB would look like.

Next steps: review how to choose a knitwear manufacturer in China, then request a quote with your product idea, target quantity and market — we'll propose a practical development path. Or browse our product directions to see the gauge and style range first.