How to find garment buyers in the United States and Europe
Reevi team · Updated
Use import records to choose the market, then find named brands, retailers and importers that already buy your garment, and check each one before you write. United States import records show 7,705 companies importing women's dresses and 6,200 importing cotton T-shirts, several times more than in the United Kingdom, and Vietnam supplies the largest share of dress shipments in both. For the EU, use CBI's free apparel studies and Open Supply Hub, and note the label difference: the United States requires origin and care labels, while the EU requires fibre composition labels and enforces REACH chemical limits.
Reevi lists named companies that already import women's dresses, with the reason each one fits; searching is free with no account, and a free account saves the list and adds verified contacts.
Dresses and cotton T-shirts: who imports them, and from where
Import records filed in the destination country. The data provider does not state the period these records cover.
| Garment (HS codes) | Market | Companies on record as importers | Shipments | Declared value | Largest supplying origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's dresses (620442, 620443, 620444) | United States | 7,705 | 129,179 | $735M | Vietnam, about 59% of shipments |
| Women's dresses (620442, 620443, 620444) | United Kingdom | 1,375 | 40,528 | $116M | Vietnam, about 54% of shipments |
| Cotton T-shirts (610910) | United States | 6,200 | 135,711 | $1.21B | Vietnam, about 48% of shipments |
| Cotton T-shirts (610910) | United Kingdom | 1,306 | 29,241 | $130M | India, about 41% of shipments |
Both countries' counts come from import records filed in that country, so the comparison is like for like. A company counted here is the named importer on the records: a brand, a retailer or a trading importer. The records are not dated, so the counts show which market is larger and who supplies it. They do not show which companies are buying this season. The checks in the steps further down cover that.
Expect a United States dress buyer to compare your quote with a Vietnamese factory. Expect a United Kingdom T-shirt buyer to compare it with an Indian one. Set your price and lead time with that comparison in mind.
This page has no comparable importer table for EU countries. For Germany, France, the Netherlands and the rest of the EU, use CBI's apparel market studies on cbi.eu. They cover buyer types, requirements and channels for the European apparel market.
Four kinds of European apparel buyer, and how each one orders
Summarised from CBI, '10 tips for finding buyers in the European apparel market' (updated 4 June 2025).
| Buyer type | How they buy | CBI's examples |
|---|---|---|
| Online multi-brand platform | Sells existing brands and often its own private collections. Usually places a small test order first, then the production order if the item sells. Fast delivery is a must. | Zalando, Asos, Farfetch, Boozt, About You, La Redoute, Yoox |
| Retailer | Big chains and small boutiques. Sells existing brands and may order collections developed for it. | Large chains, plus boutiques in almost every European city |
| Brand | Develops a collection 6 to 9 months ahead. Needs a salesman sample of each style that looks exactly like the shop product. | Fashion and sportswear brands |
| Intermediary | Agents, traders, importers and private label companies. Extremely price-focused. Needs flexibility in quantities and qualities. | Sourcing and private label companies |
CBI's advice for a small or medium factory is direct. Intermediaries are likely your best first buyer, because they teach you market requirements. Small to medium niche brands and retailers in the medium to high price segment are also a good match. Big platforms and big value brands need full social and environmental compliance and all the relevant certifications.
To find intermediaries, start close to home. CBI notes that some are located in or near production countries and mainly handle sourcing and logistics, while others work from Europe. Look for the buying offices and agents of European companies in your own country. In Find Buyers, name importers and private label companies as the buyer type you want.
What changes on the garment: United States vs EU
United States: Code of Federal Regulations. EU: CBI apparel buyer requirements (updated 4 June 2025) and CBI dresses and skirts market entry (updated 12 November 2025).
| Point | United States | EU |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin label | Required. Each imported textile product is labelled with the country where it was processed or manufactured, using the English name of the country (16 CFR 303.33). | Not yet legally required, according to CBI. |
| Care label | Required. Manufacturers and importers attach care labels that can be seen or easily found. The label gives a washing or drycleaning instruction, and there must be reliable evidence behind it (16 CFR 423.6). | Not yet legally required, but CBI highly recommends it. ISO 3758:2012 is the preferred standard. The care symbols belong to GINETEX, which charges a fixed fee for their use. |
| Fibre composition | 16 CFR 303.33 sits inside the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act rules. Check 16 CFR part 303 for the fibre content wording. | Required on every item under Regulation (EU) 1007/2011. Fibres that together make up to 15% of total weight may be labelled 'other fibres'. |
| Chemicals | Ask whether your buyer uses a restricted substances list. | REACH limits chemicals in apparel and trims, including certain azo dyes, flame retardants, waterproofing and stain-repelling chemicals, and nickel. Some countries add their own rules, for example on formaldehyde in Germany and the Netherlands. |
| Flammability | Clothing textiles must meet the federal flammability standard (16 CFR 1610). Plain surface fabrics of 2.6 ounces per square yard or more, and fabrics made entirely of polyester, nylon, acrylic, modacrylic, olefin or wool, are exempt from testing to support a guaranty. Light cotton and viscose fabrics such as voile and challis are not. | No specific EU rule. General product safety rules (GPSR 2023/988) cover the risk. Some countries have national policies. |
| Children's styles | For products that must be certified under the Consumer Product Safety Act, the importer files the certificate electronically with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (16 CFR 1110). Ask your importer whether your style needs one. | Only for children's styles: EN 14682 sets rules for cords and drawstrings, up to age 14. |
The United Kingdom is outside the EU. CBI notes that the United Kingdom has had its own REACH regulation since 2021 and its own national policy on apparel flammability. Confirm these points with each United Kingdom buyer.
Forced labour rules and audits: what buyers will ask you
In the United States, CBP applies the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Goods made wholly or in part in the Xinjiang region of China, or by a company on the UFLPA Entity List, are treated as made with forced labour. They are barred from import unless the importer proves otherwise with strong documents.
The words "in part" matter to a factory in Dhaka or Tiruppur. If the cotton in your yarn came from Xinjiang, the dress can be stopped even though you sewed it outside China. The proof falls on your United States buyer, so expect the buyer to ask for cotton and fabric traceability, usually documents such as yarn and fabric invoices, mill names and lot numbers.
CBP publishes a UFLPA attachment to its Notice of Detention. It lists example documents that importers may provide, so read it before your first United States order.
European buyers ask about social and environmental compliance. No certification in this guide is a legal requirement: the buyer decides. CBI calls amfori BSCI "almost a standard requirement" for many European apparel companies, so it is the first audit to consider for Europe. CBI names WRAP, SA8000, Sedex, B-corp, OEKO-TEX STeP, GOTS and the Recycled Claim Standard as the most popular standards in Europe. Amfori publishes a list of organisations that can perform an audit. On top of the law, each buyer adds its own terms in a buyer manual or contract. These often cover payment, Incoterms, nominated fabric suppliers, an acceptance quality limit and a restricted substances list.
Where to find the company names
| Source | What you get | Cost | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reevi (importer pages and Find Buyers) | Importer counts, shipments and top origins per market. Find Buyers returns named companies that already import the product, each with a reason it fits. Company names are shown in Find Buyers, not on the importer pages. | Free to search, no account | The signed-out view lists the top 5 named results. A free account gives contacts for 5 buyers a month; paid plans raise that number. |
| Open Supply Hub | A free, open map of more than 2,500,000 production locations. Brands and retailers use it to share their supplier data. | Free to search | Look up factories like yours and note which brands they are linked to. Claim your own free OS ID so brands can find you. |
| CBI apparel studies | Buyer types with examples, requirements, and advice on online databases, matchmaking sites, events, sector associations and support organisations. | Free | CBI's examples are large companies. Look for smaller ones at your level. |
| Trade fair exhibitor lists | Brands and importers active in your category. | Depends on the fair | Read the list before you decide to travel. Shortlist exhibitors by category and price level. |
- 1
Map who buys from factories like yours
On Open Supply Hub, search your country and product type. Write down the brands linked to factories of your size.
- 2
Find the right contact at each brand
Open each brand's website. Check that it sells your category at your price level, and look for a sourcing or supplier contact page. As another route, Find Buyers returns named companies for a garment and target market (see the example search below).
- 3
Check before you write
Before you spend on samples, confirm three things. First, the legal company name, website domain and business address should match each other. Second, the sourcing contact's email should use the company's own domain. Third, confirm the contact through a channel you found yourself, such as the main number on the company website. The trust check can help with the first point. The guide to verifying a foreign buyer covers the full check. Then send a short first message (example below).
A Reevi search for woven dresses in the United Kingdom and Germany
Women's woven dresses from Bangladesh, United Kingdom and Germany
Search: “Women's woven dresses (viscose and cotton) from a garment factory in Bangladesh, BSCI and OEKO-TEX certified, FOB, MOQ 1,000 pieces per style. Fashion brands, retailers and importers in the United Kingdom and Germany.” · Run on 2026-11-11
| Buyer (name removed) | Country | Why Reevi matched it |
|---|---|---|
| Womenswear brand known for dresses | United Kingdom | Dresses are its core category; a fit for a woven viscose and cotton supplier. |
| Natural-fibre womenswear brand and retailer | Germany | Strong dresses category suited to cotton and viscose. |
| Large multichannel fashion retailer | Germany | Extensive viscose-blend womenswear ranges and private label sourcing. |
| Women's fashion brand with own stores | Germany | Dress-heavy assortment and private label sourcing. |
| Premium womenswear brand | Germany | Tailored dresses; fits a woven dress supply relationship. |
Signed-out run on 2026-11-11. Company names and domains were removed for this guide; the live search shows them. The 'why' lines are Reevi's own, shortened.
All five results are brands or large retailers that source private label. None is an importer that resells other labels. In United Kingdom and German apparel, the person you write to is usually in the brand's sourcing team or its buying office. Brands of this kind ask for social and product compliance before a sample order, which is why the search stated BSCI and OEKO-TEX. These lines are reasons a company fits, not confirmed demand, so run the checks above on each one before you write.
A first message to a brand's sourcing team
Subject: Woven viscose and cotton dresses, BSCI and OEKO-TEX, FOB [port] Dear [name], We make women's woven dresses in viscose and cotton in [city, country]. We supply [type of buyer, for example mid-price womenswear brands in the United Kingdom]. MOQ: 1,000 pieces per style. Lead time: [X] days from fabric approval, FOB [port]. Certifications: amfori BSCI, OEKO-TEX [certificate number]. Cotton and fabric traceability documents are available for every order. Three reference styles close to your current range: 1. Midi wrap dress, 100% viscose challis, FOB [price band] 2. Tiered maxi dress, cotton voile, FOB [price band] 3. Shirt dress, cotton poplin, FOB [price band] I can send samples of these styles in your size set within [X] days. Would that be useful for your next season? [Name], Merchandising Manager [Company, website, phone]
The first email guide covers follow-ups. For market-specific steps, see the guides for the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Questions exporters ask
A European buyer refuses a letter of credit on the first order. What can I ask for instead?
CBI describes the usual first-order pattern: a down payment by bank transfer (for example 30%) and the rest (70%) before shipment, or a bank guarantee that the sum will be paid on a set date. Many buyers avoid letters of credit because the money is blocked in their account. CBI also notes that a letter of credit does not protect you against the buyer's bankruptcy. For follow-up orders, most European buyers ask for open account (TT) after 30, 60, 90 or sometimes 120 days, and then you carry the full financial risk. See the payment terms guide.
Which Incoterm should I quote to a European buyer?
CBI says Free on Board (FOB) is the standard Incoterm in European apparel. Some buyers ask for Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) because of rising shipping costs. CBI calls DDP the riskiest Incoterm for a manufacturer, so quote FOB unless you can control freight and import costs.
What is a nominated supplier, and can I refuse one?
Some buyers require you to buy fabric or trims from a supplier they name. You still order, receive and pay for those materials yourself, which affects your cost, speed and cash flow. CBI suggests you discuss local alternatives with the buyer that meet the same specification.