Shipping Knitwear: Turkey to the US

Be clear about where the time actually goes. From the Mediterranean ports near our factory, ocean transit to the US East Coast runs 3–5 weeks port to port — versus four to five weeks trans-Pacific from China. The two lanes are broadly comparable on the water — Mersin can come in about a week shorter at the bottom of the range, but the ocean leg is not where the decision is made. The time you gain sourcing from Turkey is upstream: bulk production runs 2–3 weeks from an approved pre-production sample, where a China programme is typically quoted at 60–90 days. From approved pre-production sample to the US port of entry, the Turkish route runs roughly 5–8 weeks against 13–18 weeks from China; customs clearance and inland delivery add the same 7–12 days on either route, so it is 6–9 weeks to your door from Turkey against 14–20 weeks from China. The difference is won on the knitting floor, not at sea.

Who Handles What: Incoterms

The Incoterm decides where our responsibility ends and yours begins. The three you'll meet most:

Customs Basics

Your customs broker files the entry and pays duty on your behalf as importer of record. You'll want a commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading that match, the correct HTS classification, and — increasingly important for cotton knitwear — the traceability documentation to answer any UFLPA question. We supply clean, consistent export paperwork so the entry is straightforward.