FOB is not your real cost. Learn what landed cost includes for imported knitwear — freight, import duty, customs fees and inland delivery — how to estimate it before ordering, and why per-unit cost falls with volume.
FOB is not your real cost. Learn what landed cost includes for imported knitwear — freight, import duty, customs fees and inland delivery — how to estimate it before ordering, and why per-unit cost falls with volume. This guide walks you through the manufacturing journey with Licheng Knitwear.
The FOB price on your knitwear quote is not what your sweaters actually cost you. By the time goods reach your warehouse, you've also paid freight, insurance, import duty, customs fees and a handful of smaller charges. That all-in number is your landed cost — and it's the only figure you should use to set retail prices and margins. This guide shows what goes into landed cost for imported knitwear and how to estimate it before you commit.
Brands that price off the FOB number alone routinely under-price their product and erode margin. Always build your retail price from landed cost, not factory cost.
| Component | What it is |
|---|---|
| FOB price | Garment cost, loaded onto the vessel at export port |
| Freight | Sea or air shipping to your destination port |
| Insurance | Cargo insurance (small but worth having) |
A clear development flow keeps samples, costing and bulk production aligned before your order moves forward.
Share your idea, tech packs and requirements.
We recommend yarns and create an initial direction.
Develop samples for fit, look and function.
Bulk production with stage-based quality control.
The right yarn defines handfeel, performance and durability. Material choice can be adjusted by season, market and target price.
Wool, cotton, cashmere and silk directions
Wool blends, cotton blends and acrylic blends
Organic cotton and recycled fiber discussions
Merino, anti-pilling and functional yarn directions
From reference photos to tech packs and pattern review, our team helps turn ideas into a manufacturable knitwear direction.
Quality is not only one step in the process. It is checked throughout development and production.
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Plan each detail clearly before bulk production to reduce risk and improve buyer communication.
Plan each detail clearly before bulk production to reduce risk and improve buyer communication.
Plan each detail clearly before bulk production to reduce risk and improve buyer communication.
Cost and timeline depend on yarn, gauge, construction, color count, quantity and packaging requirements.
MOQ
Reviewed by style, yarn and project
Sample Lead Time
Confirmed after material and gauge review
Bulk Lead Time
Confirmed by quantity and production plan
Use these practical points to make sampling and bulk production easier to manage.
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| Import duty / tariff | Charged on customs value; rate depends on product + country |
| Customs / brokerage fees | Clearance, handling, documentation |
| Inland freight | Port to your warehouse |
| Misc | Bank fees, demurrage if delayed, etc. |
Import duty depends on the knitwear's classification (HS code) and your destination country's tariff schedule and trade agreements. Two brands importing similar sweaters into different countries can pay very different rates. Before you commit:
This is also why sourcing-country choice matters beyond unit price — see China vs Vietnam vs Bangladesh sourcing.
For a rough landed cost per unit, before placing an order:
1. Start with the FOB unit price (read it correctly first — see how to read a knitwear quotation). 2. Add freight per unit = total freight ÷ units in the shipment. (Full containers are far cheaper per unit than small LCL or air shipments.) 3. Add duty = duty rate × customs value. 4. Add fees + inland freight per unit. 5. The total is your landed cost — base your margin on this.
Freight and fixed import costs are spread across the units in a shipment, so landed cost per unit falls as volume rises. A tiny first order carries high per-unit freight; a container-scale order spreads it thin. This is part of why MOQs exist and why reorders get cheaper per piece — see the custom sweater MOQ guide and knitwear reorders and scaling. Sanity-check your assumptions against the 2026 sourcing benchmark report.
Licheng Knitwear quotes a transparent FOB with the gauge, yarn, weight and Incoterm stated, so you can build an accurate landed cost on top of it. Tell us your product, target quantity and destination market and request a quote — or browse product directions to start from a style. Knowing your true landed cost up front is the difference between a healthy margin and a surprise.
QC checks help confirm workmanship, measurements and packing.
Packing and delivery details are discussed by order.
Realistic Timelines
Open Communication
Plan Future Reorders
Men's Knit Jackets
Men's Sweaters
