OEM cotton sweaters made in Gaziantep, Turkey — in-house flat-knit and WHOLEGARMENT, GOTS and OEKO-TEX certified options, shipped to Dar es Salaam as a premium China+1 alternative.
Let's be honest about price first. There is no free trade agreement between Turkey and Tanzania, so our cotton sweaters enter under the EAC Common External Tariff — roughly 25% on apparel — plus 18% VAT in TZS. On landed cost we hold no tariff advantage over China. We don't pretend otherwise. What we offer Tanzanian brands and importers is something different: genuine flat-knit and WHOLEGARMENT knitwear quality, English-language B2B service, and a real China+1 supply alternative for the premium end of your range.
15 Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT machines and 7 Stoll flat-knit machines under one roof in Gaziantep. Seamless, fully-fashioned cotton constructions — not jersey cut-and-sew. This is what a true knitwear specialist builds.
GOTS-certified organic cotton, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, BCI Better Cotton. We'll match the certification to your brand's positioning and to TBS expectations for imported apparel.
5gg to 10gg flat-knit. Cable, rib, jacquard and plain constructions. Fully fashioned in-house linking for clean seams. Cotton-linen and cotton-modal blends suited to warmer climates.
250 pcs per colour, per size. Cotton sweaters suit both independent capsule ranges and steady premium programmes — we scale the approach to your order size and to onward distribution across EAC and SADC.
China is the default for low-cost knitwear into Tanzania, and on price alone we won't beat it. Tanzania is also a cotton producer in its own right, so we never position Turkish knitwear as a cheaper version of local basics. That would be dishonest and it would be wrong. We position it as a complementary premium tier — the part of your range where construction, finish and seamless WHOLEGARMENT quality actually matter to your customer.
The real reasons to add a Turkish supplier are diversification and capability. A China+1 source protects you against single-country disruption. English-language communication removes friction. And Tanzania's own position is an advantage: the Port of Dar es Salaam plus dual EAC and SADC membership means knitwear landed here can serve both East and Southern African markets from one entry point. We ship from Mersin to Dar es Salaam in roughly 20–28 days.
Indicative FOB Mersin ranges for cotton flat-knit sweaters at 250–500 pcs MOQ. See our full knitwear pricing guide for detail.
| Style | Gauge | Indicative FOB |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton crewneck sweater, plain stitch | 7gg | $18–26 |
| Cotton cable-knit sweater | 5–7gg | $24–34 |
| Cotton-linen blend sweater | 7–10gg | $22–32 |
| Organic cotton (GOTS), crewneck | 7gg | $22–30 |
Indicative FOB Mersin. Add ocean freight to Dar es Salaam, EAC CET duty (~25% on apparel), 18% VAT and TRA clearing for landed cost in TZS.
Send a tech pack, a fibre brief or a reference style. We'll confirm cotton sourcing, pricing and a sample timeline within one business day. New to importing knitwear? Read how to order first.
No. There is no free trade agreement between Turkey and Tanzania, so Turkish-origin knitwear enters under the EAC Common External Tariff — roughly 25% on apparel — plus 18% VAT. We are transparent about this: we hold no tariff advantage over China on price. What we offer instead is quality, WHOLEGARMENT and flat-knit capability, English-language B2B service and a genuine China+1 alternative for Tanzanian brands that want premium knitwear.
We work with 100% cotton, cotton-linen (for warmer-climate texture), cotton-modal (for softness and drape), and cotton-recycled polyester blends. Tanzania is itself a cotton producer, so we position Turkish knitwear as a complementary premium option, not a cheaper substitute. Yarn can be supplied with GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 or BCI certification depending on your requirements.
Ocean freight from Mersin to the Port of Dar es Salaam typically takes around 20 to 28 days, depending on the carrier, routing and transhipment. From Dar es Salaam, goods can move inland or be re-distributed across both the EAC and SADC trade blocs, since Tanzania holds dual membership giving access to East and Southern African markets.
Imported apparel must comply with TBS (Tanzania Bureau of Standards) requirements and is cleared through the TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authority), with duties and VAT payable in TZS. We supply commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and the technical documentation your clearing agent needs. We do not overstate compliance — your agent confirms the exact requirements for your HS code.