Guides
Duty-free guides
16 guides on duty-free for apparel importers.
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Duty-free · How to
How to verify a supplier’s REX number (and what the result tells you)
Check a supplier’s REX number on the European Commission’s free validation page before you pay a deposit. The steps, what the result shows, and the red flags.
24 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Duty-free · How to
Statement on origin wording, explained line by line
The exact EU GSP statement on origin text from Annex 22-07, what goes in each gap for Nepal-made garments, and the mistakes that cost you 0% duty.
24 September 2026 · 6 min read
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Duty-free · How to
UK DCTS origin declaration vs EU REX: what’s different for garment importers
The UK uses its own DCTS origin declaration, not the EU REX statement on origin. The UK wording, key differences, and what we supply for each market.
24 September 2026 · 5 min read
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Duty-free · How to
What is a REX number? A plain guide for EU importers
A REX number is the EU registration an exporter needs to certify origin for 0% GSP/EBA duty. What it looks like, who registers, and what it means for you.
24 September 2026 · 6 min read
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Duty-free · How to
HS codes for knitwear imports: 6109, 6110 & 6105 explained, with duty rates by market
The commodity codes every knitwear importer needs, t-shirts 6109, sweatshirts and hoodies 6110, polos 6105 — what classifies where, the cotton-vs-synthetic split that changes US duty, and the current duty rates into the UK, EU, US, Canada and Japan by origin.
26 August 2026 · 2 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for French buyers — duty, EPR, and the paperwork that matters
France imports €23 billion of apparel a year, runs Europe’s biggest promo-textile show, and operates the world’s oldest textile EPR scheme. What French importers, distributors and brands need to know about sourcing duty-free from Nepal — including the Refashion déclaration your supplier can make painless.
5 August 2026 · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for Dutch buyers — direct, with numbers
The Netherlands imports ~€13 billion of clothing and re-exports ~€10 billion of it — win one Dutch trader and you reach the EU. The numbers a Dutch importer actually wants: 0% EBA duty, Article 23 cash flow, UPV Textiel fees per garment, and a supplier who answers plainly.
5 August 2026 · 3 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing from Nepal to the US: the honest 2026 tariff picture
No spin: Nepal has no duty-free access to the US — a cotton tee pays the standard 16.5%. But as of mid-2026, Nepal is also one of the few origins with no additional tariffs stacked on top, while China pays up to ~20 points more. The verified state of play, date-stamped.
5 August 2026 · 3 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
The UK importer’s guide to sourcing knitwear from Nepal
Duty-free until at least 2029 — with a UK scheme structured so exporters keep access as their country develops. The complete UK picture: what the DCTS actually requires (less than you think), EORI, CDS and Postponed VAT Accounting, what UK law does and doesn’t require on labels, and why Nepal is the UK’s most under-used knitwear source.
5 August 2026 · 3 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Importing apparel from Nepal to Canada: the 18% duty advantage explained
Canada charges 18% MFN duty on knit apparel — but Nepal-made garments enter at 0% under LDCT, and since January 2025 the rules of origin are among the easiest anywhere: cut and sew in Nepal qualifies, with fabric from any country. The full picture for Canadian importers, decorators, and brands.
4 August 2026 · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal: a guide for German & DACH buyers
Germany is Europe’s largest apparel importer — and already Nepal’s biggest EU trading partner, with knitwear among the top Nepali exports to Germany. Duty-free access under EBA, the certifications DACH buyers expect, supply-chain documentation, and how importing from Nepal works in practice.
4 August 2026 · 4 min read
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Sourcing · Duty-free
Sourcing knitwear from Nepal to Japan: duty-free access as China’s share falls
China’s share of Japan’s clothing imports fell below 50% in 2025 — a 31-year low — as Japanese buyers diversify across South Asia. Nepal offers what few origins can: 0% duty versus ~9% MFN, a cut-and-sew origin rule, and small-lot minimums that fit Japanese buying culture.
4 August 2026 · 4 min read
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Duty-free · Pricing
How to legally reduce your apparel import duty
Import duty can be 10–30% of your cost. Here are the legitimate ways brands lower it — trade preferences, sourcing country, rules of origin, and correct classification.
13 July 2026 · 2 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
How EU, UK & Canadian buyers save import duty sourcing garments from Nepal
Nepal’s LDC status means knit garments enter the EU, UK, and Canada at 0% import duty under single-transformation rules — even with imported fabric. Here’s how it works, and the 2026 window to plan for.
13 July 2026 · 4 min read
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Duty-free · Sourcing
Nepal LDC graduation 2026: what apparel importers need to know
Nepal is scheduled to graduate from Least Developed Country status in November 2026. Here’s what that means for duty-free garment sourcing — and the window to plan around.
13 July 2026 · 2 min read
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Duty-free · How to
Single vs. double transformation rules of origin, explained for apparel importers
Rules of origin decide whether your garment qualifies for duty-free import. Here’s the difference between single and double transformation — and why it matters when the fabric is imported.
13 July 2026 · 2 min read
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